File:Coloured illustrations of British birds, and their eggs (1849) (14562086909).jpg

Identifier: colouredillustra61849meye (find matches)
Title: Coloured illustrations of British birds, and their eggs
Year: 1842 (1840s)
Authors: Meyer, H. L. (Henry Leonard), d. 1864 Meyer, H. L. (Henry Leonard), d. 1864. Illustrations of British birds Rutter, Daniel, former owner. DSI Rolle, Mark, former owner. DSI S. & J. Bentley, Wilson & Fley, printer S. & J. Bentley and Henry Fley, printer
Subjects: Birds Birds Birds Taxidermists Birds
Publisher: London : G.W. Nickisson
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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r is, like the foregoing species, a regularwinter visitant upon our coasts ; its earlier or later appear-ance depending upon the state of the weather. The native regions of the Velvet Scoter are the countriesof Europe, Asia, and America, that are situated within thePolar Circle. In Russia it is very numerous, and inSiberia and Kamtschatka also very common, as well as inHudsons Bay and the adjoining countries. In Greenlandand Iceland the present species is not known to occur ; inthe Orkneys, Hebrides, and in Norway it is again plentiful.During the winter season, the severity of the weather drivesit southward to Sweden, the Baltic, and Denmark, and to the coasts of Great Britain, Holland, and France; also to the inland seas of Russia, Pommerania, and Holstein. Someinstances are on record of its being met with on the inlandrivers and lakes of Germany, as well as in Switzerland ;on the coast of Italy it has also been seen at intervals. The Velvet Scoter leaves its summer quarters later than
Text Appearing After Image:
VELVET SCOTER. 123 most ducks, and arrives rarely before the month of November,in our latitudes. While the shores are free from ice theflocks remain in about the same localities as the Black Scoter,and about the mouths of large rivers, after which it retiresto the open sea, where it passes the winter in the companyof other ducks. In the month of March the spring mi-gration takes place, which is always performed during thenight. It is very easy to distinguish the Velvet Scoter fromthe Black Scoter, by the white band across its closed wing;besides which, it is a plumper bird, its head is thicker, andits tail shorter. This bird is rarely seen on land, but mostly frequentsthe water, for which reason it walks at all times very in-differently, and treads on its own toes for want of prac-tice. In the arts of swimming and diving there is no cluckthat exceeds it, and it is said that this bird dives for foodto the depth of eight fathoms. In these feats of divingthis species appears to descend a

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