172 HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



hail. For some time we searched the fir wood without 

 success, and then, on rounding a specially large hollow 

 pine, became aware of repeated hissing cries emerging 

 from the interior, from which a hen Goosander regarded 

 us furiously. Though trembling with fear and anger, 

 she refused to leave the nest until a hand was thrust into 

 the hollow. From the photograph of the nesting site it 

 will be seen that the entrance to the hole becomes consider- 

 ably narrower near the ground, so that it was impossible 

 for the mother bird to make her way out without flying 

 perpendicularly up the hole for some feet. We had an 

 opportunity of admiring her beautiful plumage as she 

 sat there guarding her eggs. Her rich chocolate-coloured 

 head she constantly moved from side to side in her anxiety, 

 and her back, with its pearl-grey feathers, was trembling 

 and quivering. 



After a certain amount of gentle persuasion the Goos- 

 ander left her eggs, and attempted to fly out of the nesting 

 hollow. She almost reached the top, but failed to secure 

 a foothold and fell back on to her eggs, unfortunately 

 cracking one as she did so. Again she made the attempt, 

 and with the help of my companion, who thrust a hand 

 under her just as she was on the point of slipping back 

 once more, gained the open and flew rapidly down the 

 glen, quacking huskily. In the nest were eight cream- 

 coloured eggs, resting on a layer of do^m of like shade, but 

 from all appearances the hen had been sitting only a 

 few days, so that the down was not so deep as would have 

 been the case had incubation been far advanced. 



This down is plucked by the brooding Goosander 

 from her own breast, and serves as a blanket when she is 

 away feeding — for, as is the case with so many members 

 of the Duck family, the drakes take but little interest 

 in the affairs of their wives, and thus the duck has to 

 look after herself. When she leaves the nest she 



