THE VELVET SCOTER — THE COMMON SCOTER. 
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THE VELVET SCOTER 
Oidemia fitsca. 
This is merely an occasional winter visitor, although common 
in Orkney, to which we are probably indel^ted for the few which 
visit us after southerly gales. I have seen it but seldom, and 
never obtained more than one specimen. 
THE COMMON SCOTEK. 
Oidemia nigra. 
The Common or Black Scoter is another occasional winter 
visitor, more frequently seen upon the west coast of the Mainland 
than in the North Isles, and then only in very small numbers. 
I have observed it in Unst as late as the middle of May, but 
there is no reason for supposing that it breeds in any part, of 
Shetland. It is very shy, and almost unapproachable openly ; 
the only chance of getting a shot at it being when it is diving 
near a rocky shore. On procuring my first specimen, a female, 
in November 1860, I was much at a loss to determine its 
species, neither Yarrell nor Macgillivray enabling me to 
identify it. The following short description was entered in 
my note-book at the time : — 
Length, 18 inches ; wing, from flexure to tip, 8 J ; bill, | ; 
tarsus, IJ; middle toe and its claw, 2. 
Bill dark greenish horn colour; the nostrils orange. Eye 
brown. Head (as low as a short distance below the eyes) and 
upper part of back of neck, dusky brown ; the lore lightest, 
and top of head much the darkest. Chin, throat, and remainder 
of head white, sprinkled with brownish grey. Lower part of 
front of neck and upper part of breast, dusky brown. The 
whole upper surface of the wings and body, dark dusky brown, 
tinged with olive in many parts; the wings are rather the 
darkest, and the inner webs of the primaries dirty white. Tail, 
