17G HILL BIRDS OF SCOTLAND 



the head showing, and the small swimmer appearing for 

 all the world like a rat, as it makes its way as speedily as 

 possible from the danger zone. 



I think that, when danger is perceived by the mother 

 Goosander from afar, she sees her chieks safely concealed, 

 and rises from the water, flying backward and forward 

 near the spot. I once saw a Goosander after behaving 

 in this manner rise to a great height, and make her way 

 rapidly in the direction of a neighbouring loch. On 

 passing a certain loch where I knew at least one brood 

 of Goosanders was concealed, I saw the Goosander duck 

 flying around restlessly. A strong breeze was blowing 

 down the glen at the time, rippling the clear waters of the 

 loch, and aided by this wind the Goosander rose up, with 

 each circle which she executed, till she had reached a 

 great height. A pair of Eagles had their eyrie on a rock 

 near — I had only a few minutes before seen both birds 

 alight at their eyrie and commence to feed their hungry 

 Eaglet — and I wondered whether the Goosander would 

 be sighted and pursued, but no, she moved rapidly south- 

 ward — making, apparently, for a loch which lay farther 

 up the glen — until she was lost to view in the bright sky. 



Sometimes very large broods of young Goosanders 

 are seen. An angler, to whom the Highland glens are 

 well known, on one occasion came across a family of no 

 fewer than fourteen youngsters. On the water with them 

 was only a single adult bird, though a second was seen in 

 the air : whether this was the drake, or whether two broods 

 were present and the more timid of the mothers declined 

 to stay with her young, is doubtful. 



Even in the south the Goosander at times is driven 

 from still water by stress of weather, and then the birds 

 frequent rivers or, perhaps, the sea itself. 



One winter's afternoon I was watching the ducks on 

 a certain loch feeding on a ' narrow strip of water which 



