THE TUFTED-DUCK IN THE NESTING SEASON 269 



and the duck withdrew somewhat from the hollow. Here she 

 continued to pick at the vegetation, and her mate, sitting alongside 

 her (also out of the hollow), behaved in a similar way, going through 

 the pantomime of pulling up grass and dropping it beside him, or 

 even throwing it over his back. As before, I failed to detect 

 anything held in the bill." 



"23rd April, 7.55 a.m. — Three pairs of birds sitting on grassy 

 bank close to the water's edge, each couple a little apart. One pair 

 at same spot as yesterday. 8.5 — Male of this pair settles in hollow 

 used yesterday, and pulls a little at surrounding vegetation, later 

 dozing ; female of second pair plucking slightly and vaguely at grass 

 beside her. All six birds doze intermittently, but frequently rising 

 to preen. 8.15 — Male of first pair, after a spell of preening, plucks 

 at grass ; nearly all now preening . . . the females more persistently 

 than the males. 8.25 — Male of first pair (still in the hollow) plucks 

 at grass, wheels round in his place and settles down again, renewing 

 his plucking actions a little later. 8.40 — Male of third pair goes 

 through similar antics, and now, for the first time, strands of grass 

 are clearly visible in the bill ; they are pulled up and dropped by 

 the bird's side. Later he goes to sleep, his head nodding forward. 

 8.50 — Male of first pair plucks a little and goes through the action 

 of swallowing.'' 



" 2Q)t1i April, 10.20 A.M. — Five pairs on bank of pond, all 

 walking to and fro rapidly and restlessly, pecking as they go amongst 

 the grass as if feeding. 10.29— Some begin to settle down, preening 

 themselves, one female 'combing.' 10.35 — A female makes 

 repeated efforts to pluck the blossom of a Narcissus, which rises a 

 little above her head. . . . 11.9 — Female of a pair on the water 

 swims into a rush-clump growing at the edge of the pond, her mate 

 following ; both disappear from sight. Two minutes later the male 

 reappears on bank behind rush-clump ; he plucks a little in usual 

 manner, later preening, n. 14 — His mate appears on bank beside 

 him; both now plucking a little, vaguely. . . . 12.5 — Male of pair 

 close to shore swims to a rush-clump, into which he vanishes. His 

 mate follows him, pausing a little at the edge of the clump to pull 

 at the rushes, before disappearing. Both soon come out again, the 

 female now leading and going into another clump a few yards further 

 along the shore ; the drake follows. Three minutes later the duck 

 emerges, proceeding straightway to a third Juncus-clump, into which 

 she disappears as usual. The male awaits her at the edge. 

 Later both set out for the island, the female in the van ; and the 

 latter, after one or two abortive efforts, succeeds in springing up its 

 somewhat steep banks. Making her way into a bed of Epilobium, she 



