. The sportsman's British bird book . the eyes, a lead - coloured beak, and dull red legs and toes, with dark webs. A remarkable difference from the typical scoter is to be found in the fact that young birds are like the duck ; this earlier assumption of the dark colour indicating a further specialisation. Ducklings are dark brown above, with a square spot below the eye, a patch on the wing, and the under-parts white. The breeding-range of the velvet-scoter extends from Scandinavia along the Arctic shores of Europe and Asia to the Pacific ; and from these northern resorts the birds descend in
. The sportsman's British bird book . the eyes, a lead - coloured beak, and dull red legs and toes, with dark webs. A remarkable difference from the typical scoter is to be found in the fact that young birds are like the duck ; this earlier assumption of the dark colour indicating a further specialisation. Ducklings are dark brown above, with a square spot below the eye, a patch on the wing, and the under-parts white. The breeding-range of the velvet-scoter extends from Scandinavia along the Arctic shores of Europe and Asia to the Pacific ; and from these northern resorts the birds descend in winter occasionally as far south as the north of Spain, and constantly to the British Isles, the Adriatic, the Black and Caspian Seas, and the valley of the Yang-tse- Kiang. As might have been expected, these scoters are much more common on the eastern than on the opposite coast of Great Britain ; and the same holds good with regard to Ireland, where, however, only some twenty occurrences of the species were recorded up to the close. VELVET-SCOTEK. Jo4 DUCK GROUP of last ccntur\-. The white \vint;-bar and eye-spot render the drakesalways distinguishable from the ordinary scoter with which theyfrequently associate. In the Orkneys and Shetlands, where they areregular visitors, velvet-scoters usually arrive in September or October,and take advantage of the shelter afforded by the numerous inletsand bays, where they congregate in flocks of from half-a-score todouble that number till the following spring. With the exception thatduring the breeding-season it ascends rivers to a considerable distanceand frequents inland lakes, often nesting on the Siberian tundraat a considerable distance from water, the velvet-scoter agrees in thematter of habits with the typical species. Surf-Seotep ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ rarest, and at the same the largest, of (CEdemia ^^^ three species of the present group which visit perspicillata) ^^^ British Isles is the surf-scoter, easily recognised in the case of muse
Size: 1582px × 1579px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorlydekkerrichard184919, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
