LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL. 205 



carried just above the water, but when alarmed, wounded, or bent on feeding, it can 

 sink the body and depress the tail below, or even just under the water. At a short 

 distance the golden eye and blue bill are very noticeable, and in the spring the eye 

 of the male is very bright, the pui^il being almost indistinguishable, especially when 

 courtship is proceeding. If alarmed near the shore, the tufted is very qiuck to 

 apprehend danger. It raises the head, stiffens the neck, sinks the body slightly, and 

 at once commences to swim to deep water at a considerable pace. Should it consider 

 that it is not possible to gain a point beyond gun range by swimming, it rises at 

 once with considerable splashing and some noise, especially if the day is calm or the 

 wind offshore, and then quickly rising with rapid beating wings, it passes away. 

 Before leaving a lake tufted ducks always circle over the water many times some- 

 times rising to a height of 20 or 30 yards, and sometimes diving through the air 

 toward the water again, which they always seem loath to abandon. The flight is 

 rapid and very straight once the birds have decided on their course. They have a 

 very black-and-white appearance in the air, and if the sim is upon them, even a 

 glistening or "twinkling," which can be recognized from a great distance. 



During the day the companies of tufted ducks spend most of the time in resting, 

 preening, and feeding, but as evening comes on they become restive and keep 

 much on the wing. Like many other ducks, most of their journeys are performed 

 at night, which fact is proved by their frequent disappearance from certain lakes 

 and appearance in the morning on others. When traveling over short distances the 

 flight is generally performed witliin gunshot of the land or water, but when making 

 longer journeys they mount to a considerable height in the air like the golden-eye. 

 They generally fly in very close irregular companies in a swift arrowlike manner, 

 swinging and swaying to take advantage of any wind breaks, hills, woods, etc. 

 In summer single pairs of birds will resort to any pond that is quiet and undis- 

 turbed, preferring those that are well lined with sedge, rushes, grassy banks, 

 embankments, and heather islands. In autumn the immatures may be found even 

 in pools in fields, wide drains, and large sewage tanks. I have killed several 

 in an unsavory bog right in the heart of the town of Glasgow known as the Postle Marsh, 

 but they do not seem partial to swift-flowing rivers and if found there it is certain 

 that they are only on passage. As a rule they come ashore on long low tongues ol 

 land or small islands from which a good view may be obtained, and are very quick 

 to take alarm given by the cries of other birds or the use of their own eyes. During 

 gales of wind they are very clever to take advantage of the shelter of islands or head- 

 lands, and yet remain on the water just out of shot of any spot that may hide a gun- 

 ner. Resting on the water they appear to be asleep, yet their little feet are in motion 

 all the time so as to prevent the wind from drifting them too far into rough water. 

 Thus they will maintain one position for hours at a time. 



On shore they walk slowly and clumsily, with a decided roll. On the water they 

 are expert divers and, when feeding, keep in close companies. When feeding they 

 dive all together or very quickly one after the other, remaining below from a few 

 seconds to a minute (generally 50 seconds). They are very buoyant and rise to the 

 surface with a "jump" at different points, when they at once reassemble and 

 commence diving again. In this manner they spend a great part of the day. 

 When at the bottom, in clear water, they probe the mud, sand, or pebbles in search 

 of food, and, like the golden -eye, I have seen them turn over stones of considerable 

 size with the bill. The food is swallowed under water as a rule, but if a fish, frog, 

 or large piece of succulent root or vegetable matter is found it is brought to the 

 surface and crushed or broken up before being swallowed. The usual cry, uttered by 

 both sexes, but somewhat louder and harsher in the case of the female, is korr, korr, 

 horr, or ha-ha-ha, karr. They emit this when rising, quarreling, or suddenly alight- 

 ing, or on being scared. The call of the male in spring is a low gentle whistle, and 

 the onlooker must be at close range to hear it at all. 



