LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 9 



The goldeneye is an expert diver; and although at times it uses 

 both wings and feet under water, its method of diving, with wings 

 pressed close to the sides, shows that it generally uses its feet alone. 

 Dr. Arthur A. Allen writes to me that he has " seen goldenej^es using 

 their wings, half spread, when feeding normally." When undis- 

 turbed it dives with great ease; the bill is pointed forward until it 

 touches the water, when the bird slips out of sight without an effort, 

 causing hardly a ripple. But when alarmed it plunges forward and 

 downward with great vigor, cleaving the water as it does so. 



Mr. F. S. Hersey timed a goldeneye diving and found that it dove 

 with great regularity, remaining under for 21 seconds and on the 

 surface for 13 seconds between dives. Although it usually feeds in' 

 rather shallow water, it can dive to great depths in search of shell- 

 fish if necessary ; for this reason it is called " le plongeur " by the 

 French residents of southern Labrador. 



J. G. Millais (1913) narrates the following interesting incident, 

 illustrating its power as a plunger: 



No ducks are more bold in the " headers," they will take from the clouds 

 ■when pursued by a raptorial bird. I was collecting birds one day in February, 

 1882, on Loch Leven, the Inverness-shire sea loch, when I heard the sound of 

 goldeneye, accompanied by a peculiar hum of something passing through the 

 air. On looking up I was just in time to see tlie interesting spectacle of a 

 peregrine making a stoop at three goldeneyes. The ducks at this moment 

 were high, I should say 80 yards in the air, and closed their wings as they 

 lieard or saw the peregrine coming, and dropped as if shot to the surface of 

 the water. On striking the water there was no pause, they just passed out of 

 sight, rising nearly 100 yards away, and flying low over the water. The 

 peregrine, after its unsuccessful " stoop," did not pursue them. Like the 

 long-tailed duck, but scarcely with the same skill in starting, the goldeneye 

 has the power of opening its wings immediately on reaching the sui-face of 

 the water, and commencing to fly. I have seen other ducks act in a similar 

 manner when chased by peregrines, but none displayed such promptitude or 

 fell from such a height as did these goldeneyes. 



He says further : 



In clear water it is easy to note the powerful strokes of the legs of these 

 ducks, which seem to beat with great rapidity under water and much power. 

 The stroke is more or less parallel to the wings ; the head is held out straight in 

 front. I have watched for hours the male goldeneye that lived for three 

 ^ears on the island below Perth bridge, and used to find his food at the bot- 

 tom of the river in some 8 to 10 feet of water. In summer this water was as 

 clear as crystal, and from the bridge above the observer could note every 

 movement on the part of the bird. It always proceeded to a depth of 8 to 10 

 Ifeet of water, and began to dive. On reaching the bottom, it at once com- 

 menced to turn the stones over with the bill, and from under these various 

 water insects vvere found or caught as they attempted to escape. Sometimes 

 it would find a small batch of young fresh-water mussels, and these it would 

 <levour very quickly one after the other, like a duck taking grain out of a pan. 

 It never stayed under water more than a minute, even when finding food 

 .abundant in one spot, but came up, rested a moment or two on the surface. 



