48 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
believed that a few pairs bred in the northern parts of the 
Highlands of Scotland, but this still requires confirmation. 
Kange outside the British Islands. — An inhabitant of Scandinavia 
during the breeding-season, and it is said by Naumann to nest 
as far south as Mecklenburg. Its breeding-range probably 
extends throughout Siberia to the Pacific, and on its southern 
migrations it has been known to occur off the coast of North- 
ern Spam, and it visits the Adriatic, the Black and Caspian 
Seas, as well as Turkestan, while in the far east it wanders to 
the Yangtze River m winter. In America it is replaced by an 
allied species, CE. deglandi, which has the swollen base at the 
sides of the upper mandible entirely feathered, and the* loral 
feathers are separated from the nostril by a space about equal 
to the length of the nostril itself. 
Habits.-— During the nesting-season the Velvet Scoter ascends 
rivers and also breeds on inland lakes, nesting, according to 
Mr. Seebohra, on the tundra at some distance from water • in 
winter it frequents the sea-coasts. Its habits are somewhat less 
shy than those of the Common Scoter, and its food consists 
principally of molluscs, which it procures by diving. Its note 
IS, like that of other diving Ducks, a harsh ker-ker. 
Nest.— According to Mr. Seebohm, a mere depression in the 
ground, lined witli any suitable material that m.ay be handy 
and with a plentiful supply of down. 
Eggs.-— Eight or nine in number, laid at the end of Tune 
or the beginning of July; their colour is creamy stone-colour 
or buff. Axis, 2-65-3-o inches; diam., r8s-i-g5. 
Down.— Moderately dark, brown with greyish-brown filament- 
ous tips, the white eye-spot very small and indistinct. 
in. THE SURF SCOTER. CEDEMLA PERSPICILLATA. 
A)ias perspicillata, Linn. S. N. i. p. 201 (1766). 
Oidemia perspicillata, Macg. I 5 r. H. y. p. 129 (1852). 
CEdemia perspicillata. Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 660 pi sro 
(1877); B. O U. List Br B. p. 136 (1883) ; Saunders, 
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 481 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 4^ 
(1889 ; Salvad. Cat. B, Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 412 (1895). 
