THE SCAUP DUCK. 
137 
several smaller, could be seen at one view. So many of these 
birds as 10,000 are considered to have been seen together in the 
seasons of their abundance. The last date of their thus appear- 
ing was in the middle of February 1850.* One of these great 
flocks is described as rising from the water with thundering 
noise. They do not all rise at once, but, commencing at one end 
of the flock, gradually take wing, keeping up a continuous noise, 
which may be compared to that of feu de joie } until the whole 
are in the air : those which sprang first would be past the farther 
end of the flock before its time came to take wing. The noise 
kept by a multitude of these birds feeding in the little shallow 
pools exposed at low water on the sea-banks in the stillness of the 
night, is described as resembling the sound of a waterfall: — shooters 
hearing it on such occasions at the distance of more than half a 
mile have been tempted to go in pursuit of them. In the middle 
of February 1845, when scaups were remarkably plentiful, they 
appeared in thousands far up the bay, and remained there for 
some weeks. 
I remarked from a steam-vessel proceeding towards Belfast, on 
the 29th of January, 1840, that when near a mile from the town, 
about 150 birds appeared ranged along the edge of the ebbing 
tide, like Grallatores. They looked white and brilliant as oyster- 
catchers, which they seemed to be, until on taking flight they 
were observed to be ducks, and the white marking at the base of the 
bill becoming apparent, proved them to be scaups : a short way 
from them was another flock of about 100, which, like the others, 
as they rose on wing appeared very beautiful. Their white aspect 
on the ground led me to believe that they were adult males ; but the 
marking just mentioned being that of the old female and imma- 
ture birds disproved this, and I subsequently learned that adult 
males were extremely scarce that season. The white appearance 
of the birds must therefore be attributed to a particular effect of 
light. Of forty-five of these ducks killed in the course of a 
week by three shooters at this time, there were about two 
* They have appeared in a flock, covering the surface of the water to an extent, 
as was considered, equivalent to six English acres. 
