LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 29 



wings. It rises neatly and quickly from the surface of the water and 

 sometimes from below it, bursting into the air at full speed. Wlien 

 alighting on the water it strikes with a splash and slides along the 

 surface. It generally travels in small irregular flocks made up 

 largely of females and young males, with two or three old drakes. 



It is one of the best of divers, disappearing with the suddenness 

 of a grebe, with the plumage of its head compressed and its wings 

 closely pressed to its sides. It can often succeed in diving at the 

 flash of a gun and thus escape being shot. Under water it can swim 

 with closed wings swiftly enough to catch the small fish on which 

 it feeds so largely; but I believe that it often uses its wings under 

 water for extra speed. It can also dive to considerable depths to 

 secure its food from the bottom. Charles E. Alford (1920) says 

 that it seldom or never dives to a greater depth than 2 fathoms.. 

 He timed a large number of dives and found that the period of im- 

 mersion varied from 15 to 23 seconds, usually it was about 20, and 

 the interval between dives varied from 4 to 8 seconds. 



The following incident, related by Mr. Samuel Hubbard, jr. 

 (1893), shows that its diving powers are sometimes taxed to the 

 limit : 



A broad, sandy bay made in from the harbor, the upper end of which 

 terminated in a shallow slough about 18 inches deep. I waded across and was 

 proceeding toward the beach, when my attention was attracted by a small 

 bufflehead duck (Charitonetta albeola) commonly called butterball. He was 

 swimming around in the slough and obtaining his food in the way common to 

 his kind, by diving and picking up that which came his way. With an admir- 

 ing glance at his beautiful plumage, I was about to pass on, when one of 

 those pirates of the air, a duck hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum) came in 

 sight. Without hesitating an instant, he made straight for my little friend 

 and swooped at him. His long talons came down with a clutch, but they 

 closed on nothing, for the duck was under the water. Undaunted the hawk 

 hovered overhead, and as the water was clear and shallow, he could follow 

 every movement of his prey. Again the duck came up ; the hawk swooped to 

 seize him, each move being repeated in quick succession and each dive be- 

 coming shorter and shorter. It was evident that the poor little hunted 

 creature was getting desperate, for the nest move he made was to come out 

 of the water flying. The hawk promptly gave chase. There was some clever 

 dodging in the air, but the duck, frightened and tired, soon saw that his swift 

 pursuer was getting the best of it, so he closed his wings tight against his 

 body and dropped like a stone into the water and plunged out of sight. Now 

 comes the beginning of the end. While he was under water he either saw 

 the hawk hovering over him or else he became bewildered, for he came again 

 out of the water flying. Like lightning the hawk struck ; there was a muffled 

 " squawk," and the tragedy was ended. 



Dr. J. G. Cooper (1860) writes: 



I once saw a male that I had just wounded dive in clear water, and, seizing 

 hold, by its bill, of a root growing under water, remain voluntarily submerged 

 for almost five minutes, until he supposed all danger past, when, again as- 

 cending to the surface, he paddled off with great rapidity. 



