58 British Diving Ducks 
small ''fairy" launch, I went to look for Velvet-Scoters in Musselburgh Bay. On reaching 
the turn outside Leith harbour it came on to blow, and we could proceed no further, so I 
cruised backwards and forwards on the edge of the inner harbour, just outside the shipping, 
where there was some slight shelter. Presently the ducks, unable to withstand the tempest 
raging outside, began to come in to feed under the lee of the harbour walls. Black Scoters, 
which I had scarcely ever seen in the Forth estuary before, came in in hundreds, as well 
as many Long-tails, a few Velvet-Scoters, and Great Northern and Red-throated Divers. 
The rolling of the launch made it so difficult to shoot, that I jambed myself in the top 
of the small gangway, and thus had a fairly secure position. In two hours I had exhausted 
all my cartridges and picked up 32 Black Scoters, i Velvet-Scoter, 10 Long-tailed Ducks, 
and 3 Great Northern Divers. I also shot about 14 others, which I failed to recover, 
although I had a long dip-net made for the purpose. The whole of the birds shot were 
immatures of the year. This was not a bad afternoon's shooting to get practically in the 
town of Leith. Every Saturday from November to March I cruised the Forth estuary 
and the Midlothian and Fife coasts, but I cannot recollect that I ever saw another Common 
Scoter in that time, though I could steam directly to Velvet-Scoters any day I wished. 
Common Scoters are said to rest occasionally on sandbanks (see Naumann), and I have 
heard this corroborated by gunners on the coast of Lincolnshire, but I cannot say that 
I have ever seen one ashore except in the breeding season.^ 
On the water the Common Scoter, when not feeding, is a dull, sluggish bird, drifting 
for hours with head and neck sunk deep between the shoulders. In feeding it dives some- 
what like the Golden-Eye, with a powerful leg-kick, but not with so much spring. The 
tail generally trails in the water on such occasions, but is held well up when resting. 
On land they are dull, sluggish, and clumsy birds, but when frightened they are re- 
markably active and put down their heads and run, rather like a water-hen. In confine- 
ment I have noticed they are very restless, nervous, and jealous when feeding. They are 
of a greedy nature, and adults chase off with open bill any immatures that come to the feed- 
ing trough, at the same time uttering a harsh croak. 
Though disliking rough water, they are adept swimmers, and can maintain their posi- 
tion with comparative ease. The only Common Scoter I ever saw in Orkney was with a 
party of Eiders, in such a rough place that I could not approach without fear of being 
swamped, and the bird, an old male, was diving and reaching its food with as much facility 
as any of the weather-beaten Eiders. A few days afterwards he flew past me on the Bring 
and I killed him. 
With its powerful feet and legs the Common Scoter dives frequently when on feed, 
generally reappearing almost on the same spot ; and where they are not constantly disturbed 
they are seldom seen flying, but drift lazily about in great battalions when not on feed. If 
there is no wind they rise with some slight difficulty, going for a short distance splashing 
along the water, but if there is a headwind they lift more easily than the other Scoters. 
The wings are beaten very rapidly and flight accompanied by a slight " whistling" or rust- 
ling noise, which becomes almost a roar when a large flock takes to wing on a still day. As 
a rule they fly at a medium height, about 20 to 30 feet above the water, but I have seen them 
in the air at times higher than any of the Scoters or Eiders — in fact, as high as Golden-Eyes. 
^ I saw three adult males ashore on an island in Myvatn in 1889. 
