Editing Common scoter (section)

==Scoters and meatless Fridays in France==
In parts of France, in the nineteenth century and earlier, the common scoter was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church as a substitute for fish during the [[Friday fast]].
{{blockquote|The scoters are said to appear on the coasts of France in great numbers, to which they are attracted by a certain kind of small bivalve shell fish called ''vaimeaux'' ... At the flowing of the tide the scoters approach in great numbers, diving after their favourite food, and soon get entangled in the nets. ... These are sold to the Roman Catholics, who eat them on those days on which they are forbidden by their religion the use of animal food, fish excepted; these birds and a few others of the same fishy flavour, having been exempted from the interdict ...<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Scoter Duck|title=American Ornithology|series=Constable's miscellany of original and selected publications in the various departments of literature, scoence & the arts. Vol. LXVIII-LXXI |year=1831|volume=3|pages=212–213|publisher=Printed for Constable and co.; etc., etc. |chapter-url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044019310895;view=1up;seq=236}}</ref>}}