winter by largy flocks of aquatio birds. With the first ap-"
pearance of frost the Scoters and. other Ducks arrive in nume rous
small flocks, and a destructive sort ot battue takes place,
in which all who can are induced to participate with great
eagerness. About Christmas, when the Scoters have made
their appearance, printed bills are posted, at- Marseilles,- Ais?,
and all the principal places in thb^vicinity,-stating the in tended
order of attack upon the birds, and the day arid hour
at which it is to take place.- - The Mayors of two Ur three
of the principal places make the necessary arrangements; on
the eve of the day fixed upon all the shooters are divided
into partiesy and each has a boat, a pilot, and a commander
appointed. T h e assemblage is large, filling thejnns and the
lodgings to be had at private houses. In the'morning,, at
the sound of a drum, the embarkation takes place oU- the lake
named for the first attempt. The boats, filled wit^. sportsmen,
form an extended circle around the flocks of birds at one part
of the lake; the boats then draw in, diminishing the circle by
degrees till the crews are within gunshot of the intended victims.
1 At a. well-known and preconcerted signal, a partial
discharge takes place at the unfortunate birds while swimming
on the surface of the water. Many are killed on the spot ;
those which escape this first fire attempt to save themselves
by flight, when a second discharge assails- them in the a ir;
many more fall, and with broken wings and loud; cries are
picked up by the shooters, who divide the spoil, not without
many altercations, and return to land. After a.-short respite,
the t birds having again collected together on that or some
other neighbouring lake, a seconcL.ad vance takes place in the
same manner, and the day is passed in making a succession of
attacks, each followed by a retreat for a time to allow .thfe
birds to reassemble. A chasse, as it is termed, of a somewhat
similar character, is performed near Bastia, the capital
of Corsica '-but in this locality the Scoter is always aeeompanied
by numbers of the Red-throated Diver, which appear
fto^act the part of ;seM^iaels outside the flocks of Ducks ; and
js®«* qufeferisighted are these ssentinels, and so instantaneously
do the^dlve^andi-so rapidly^do^ thky-swim under water, that
hundreds of -Scoters are killed to one couple of Divers. M.
Savi includes the Scoter among; the -Birds of Italy. M.
‘Vieillot spys that^theycoast of Picardy is covered with them in
winter whenever; the.«wind - blows' from the north, or north-
.weste-: jmd M.mT emminck^ri'scribo®: it as abundant on^ other
parts of the ’Coast of France^ and in Holland. I am not aware
that'tljfoScoter basf||ger been foundries, breed in this country.
T b e ^ e st is described ;asjformed of grass and other vegetable
matter, mixed and lined- with ^ q u a n tity of its own down;
the-:egga about5 snsrin- number. Theses as figured in the work
I P M. Thienemann, are ref .a pale buff' colour,, tinged with
green ; two inches six lines in length, by one inch and nine
limp in breadth. ; In reference to the Scoter in Scandinavia,
Richard Dann, Esq. sent me word that this Duck frequents
the same places*, and is very similar in its habits to the Velvet
Duck, bath .being* generally found in the same localities.
After the female has laid, the males associate in large flocks,
and slowly draw towards the coast, where they arrive in
•October. The eggs are generally from’ five to seven in number.
They are never found on the coast during summer
there. Mr. Procter ffound the Scoter; breeding in Iceland,
but it is not common; only two nests were obtained; the
eggs six in number. The Scoter'is found in the northern
parts of Europe, Asia, and America.
In the adult male the beak is black, except the central
ridge of the upper mandible, which is orange; the irides
brown; all the plumage - deep- black; legs and toes dusky
black, the webs darker, or quite black.
The whole length nineteen inches. ■ From the carpal joint
to the end of the longest quill-feather nine inches; the
second quill-feather rather the longest in the wing.