72. British Diving Ducks 
easily be observed. In fact in most of the favourite resorts of Scaup in Scotland 
known to me it is impossible to stalk the birds from the shore, owing to the dangerous 
character of the slime and mud near to the sea. Scaup seem to know this, custom having 
taught them that men^ are never concealed nor can they approach them in such places, 
and dive about and among the beds, and even go ashore to rest and feed upon them 
without fear. 
I have often heard it said, even by experienced wild-fowlers, that Scaup always obtain 
their food by diving, but I had positive proof one bitter winter day in 1890 that this 
rule is not invariable. I had crept up to the edge of the bent grass on the Fife shore 
of Tents Muir, and had used my glass for some time, when I found a few Scaup swimming 
in the narrow channels. Resting on the ooze and mussels were a few more. The tide 
had nearly ebbed to the full and I was wondering whether it would be possible to approach 
the birds by stalking as the ground was, as I knew from experience, capable of bearing 
me, when a roar of wings announced the arrival of one of the largest flights of Scaup 
I have ever seen. They came in from the sea in one great glistening battalion, followed 
by a few smaller parties. After swinging once over the birds in the small channels they 
circled round, and I expected them to drop on the edge of the main tideway some eighty 
yards further out. But much to my astonishment they swung in again, and alighted with 
great noise and very abruptly amongst the small pools and shallow rills scarcely capable 
of floating them. The birds had probably been moved more than once from their feeding 
grounds, for they all at once commenced to feed with avidity. More than half the flock 
went ashore and waddled amongst the mud and mussels, devouring the food with the 
greed of farmyard ducks, whilst numbers fed on the edge of the rapidly flowing streams 
in much the same fashion as the surface-feeders. I had never seen Scaup act like this 
before, nor did I do so again. As the tide kept retreating the Scaup followed it, as if afraid 
of being left too far from their natural element, but the greater part of the flock continued 
to feed ashore for fully half an hour. Then, doubtless feeling nervous, they rose in one 
body and settled on the sea edge where it was impossible to reach them, so I obtained 
no shot. 
At a distance the males can easily be mistaken for the females of the Tufted Duck, but 
when in flocks or even singly the male Scaup is easily distinguished by his shining white 
back. In fact in watching a flock of Scaup the constant movement of the old males gives 
a curious shimmering or twinkling look to it. On land their movements are very similar 
to the Tufted Duck, the walk being clumsy or rolling. 
Scaup are great divers, and as they affect places where their food is usually obtained at 
depths ranging from six to twenty feet, they will not remain for more than a minute beneath 
the surface. When feeding on common mussels the food is usually so abundant in certain 
spots that they do not require to travel much to obtain it. Consequently they will 
sometimes remain for an hour in one place, covering only a small area, without moving, 
and diving assiduously all the time. They seem to be very careless in the matter of 
posting sentries, and their suspicions are not easily aroused. All the flock may disappear 
at once and then all come to the surface, or part may come up and part be busy below, 
so that there is no fixed method or care shown, wherefore it is easy to approach them 
in a small sailing-boat, and easier still in a gunning-punt. I have on more than one 
