THE SCOTERS. 
45 
In winter it extends on the west along the shores of the Atlan- 
reaching to the Azores and for some little distance into the 
Mediterranean, occurring very rarely on the coasts of I’rovence 
^nd Italy. In the Eastern Mediterranean, however, it has been 
observed off the coast of Palestine, but the birds which winter 
“Ore probably form part of the migration which populates the 
Caspian Sea in winter. In America our Common Scoter is 
Replaced by the American Scoter {(E. americana), which is easily 
distinguished by having the basal half of the upper mandible, 
‘deluding the knob, of a light yellow, with a scarlet-vermilion 
dnge on the sides. 
Hat)its. — Although sometimes occurring inland, the Scoter is 
essentially a marine Duck, and it is seen in immense flocks in 
'Vinter off our eastern coasts, as well as in the north of Ireland, 
keeping at a safe distance out to sea, unless driven into the 
eays by stress of weather. I'housands may often be seen on 
crossing to Holland or Belgium, off the mouths of the Maas 
the Scheldt. The Scoter is a very powerful swimmer and 
diver, and I remember an expedition which I made in Novem- 
ber, 1 893^ with my friends F. J. Jackson and Frank Stone, after 
^be Scoters in Holkham Bay in Norfolk. There were several 
boats engaged in sailing round the flocks, while we had decoys 
out in every direction, w'hose wooden heads bobbed up and 
down in the w'ater w'ith a most lifelike motion, but the result 
of the bag w'as very small. Although we managed to break up 
the flocks somewhat, the birds became very wild, and sw'am 
and dived out to sea quicker than the boats could sail. 
Mr. Seebohm believes that numbers of the Scoters which go 
north in summer do not breed, as he found large flocks fre- 
quenting the mouth of the Petchora, on the banks of which 
Jiver other individuals were busily engaged with the duties of 
Incubation. He w’rites : — “ In the valley of the Petchora flocks 
of Black Scoters were seen flying north down the river long 
after other Ducks had eggs. In the middle of July rve w'ere 
lying at anchor in the lagoon of the river, waiting for the dis- 
appearance of the fog which had come down from the arctic 
ice and concealed the Golievsky Islands which divide the 
lagoon from the ocean. The sun was shining brilliantly over- 
head, and when the fog lifted the island was revealed close to 
