. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . nd one, a female, was found on the Rhine. Individuals havealso occurred in Switzerland and France. In Cornwall one was found near Pendennis Castle, Falmouth,in the winter of 1845. In Scotland an individual was shot in Musselburgh Bay,in the spring of 1852. Others also on the Frith of Forth;and in The Naturalist, old series, volume iii, page 420,mention is made of the occurrence of a specimen. In Shetland one was seen in Ronas Voe, by Mr. RobertDunn, in June, 1847. In Orkney Surf Scoters appear insmall flocks in the sounds during winter
. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . nd one, a female, was found on the Rhine. Individuals havealso occurred in Switzerland and France. In Cornwall one was found near Pendennis Castle, Falmouth,in the winter of 1845. In Scotland an individual was shot in Musselburgh Bay,in the spring of 1852. Others also on the Frith of Forth;and in The Naturalist, old series, volume iii, page 420,mention is made of the occurrence of a specimen. In Shetland one was seen in Ronas Voe, by Mr. RobertDunn, in June, 1847. In Orkney Surf Scoters appear insmall flocks in the sounds during winter. In Ireland a specimen was obtained near Belfast. The Surf Scoter in summer resorts to the mouths of rivers,and fresh-water lakes in the neighbourhood of the sea, butthis only for the purpose of rearing its young, for at othertimes, as its name conveys, it is a bird of the sea, and delightsto float among the heaviest breakers of the rolling deep,over which it makes its way with buoyant ease. These birds arrive m October, and remain till the end SUEF SCOTEE. 55 They assemble both in small and large flocks, and are saidto be shy in their habits, and not easily approached. They feed on mussels and other small shell-fish, and also onthe shoots of water-plants, grasses, and flags. Their cry is described by Audubon as rough, uncouth, andguttural. The nest of this species, placed on the coasts of inlandseas, and by the borders of lakes, is formed of dry and witheredweeds, flags, and grasses, in the midst of a hummock, or tuftof grass. The down of the bird itself serves for the hollow of the interior is said by Audubon to be sixinches across, by two and a half in depth. The eggs are four, five, or six in number, and of an ovalshape; their colour pale yellowish or cream white. The males are said to leave the females till the young areable to fly. Male; length, one foot nine inches; bill, orange yellow, witha knob at the base of the upper mandible of vermilion red,o
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