THE GOOSANDER 177 



had so far escaped the frost. Amongst their number 

 was a Goosander drake, conspicuously handsome in his 

 dark and rich cream-coloured plumage. This bird dived 

 repeatedly below the surface. For a time he was un- 

 successful, but at length emerged holding in his bill a 

 good-sized pike, which he had considerable difliculty in 

 swallowing. Even then the fish apparently continued its 

 struggles in its captor's interior, for he swam uneasily 

 about until the pike had ceased fighting, when he clambered 

 up on to the ice and stood there, in sleepy content, 

 while he digested his well-earned meal. On one occasion 

 an eel no less than eighteen inches in length was taken 

 from the gullet of a Goosander duck. 



The courtship and display of the Goosander has many 

 points in common with that of the Eider drake. The bird 

 swims in company with the ducks, and from time to time 

 suddenly stretches his head upwards, the neck being ex- 

 tended and the bill gaping. At other times the bird raises 

 the fore-part of its body in the water and bends his 

 head low. Sometimes he jerks himself along the water, 

 throwing up clouds of spray in the process. This court- 

 ship display is accompanied by a soft and low quacking. 



The range of the Goosander is a wide one to the north 

 of Scotland, though south of the Tweed it is unknown 

 during the nesting season. In Iceland it breeds, and 

 probably in Greenland also. In Norway and Sweden 

 it is plentiful. In Lapland the eggs are taken by the 

 peasants. Here the season of spring is late in arriving, 

 and it is June before the birds commence to brood. In 

 order to induce a passing Goosander to nest, the Lap 

 places against the trunk of a pine a decayed trunk with 

 a hole in the centre. As a hollow pine is none too common, 

 the duck gladly avails herself of this nesting site, and the 

 peasant, appearing periodically on the scene, removes 

 the eggs with the exception of one, which he leaves in 



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