VOL. VI.] '' BRITISH DIVING DUCKS." 367 



pp. 177-181),* more especially as the two accounts differ 

 somewhat in detail and that this phase of the life-history 

 of the Goldeneye has been seldom recorded. 



Mr. Millais has some very interesting remarks to make 

 about the methods used by different species in diving and 

 the depth to which they go as \\e\\ as the manner in which 

 they feed under water. Of the Long-tailed Duck he writes 

 (p. 122) as follows : — 



" When feeding, Long-tailed Ducks seem capable of diving to a 

 greater depth than most of the genas except the Eider, the Scaup, 

 and the Velvet Scoter. Usually their feeding groimds are in ten to 

 thirty feet of water, and they seem able to remain below in considerable 

 currents. The whole flock sometimes dive together, but more often 

 in twos and threes, leaving no sentries on the surface, and lasually 

 remain below from half a minute to one minute. In diving they use the 

 feet only, and turn and twist to avoid sea-weed with great skill. Often 

 they descend to the bottom in spiral curves." 



A point which seems to require considerable further 

 observation is as to ^^•hat extent any of the diving ducks 

 use their wings under water for propulsion. It will be 

 noticed that Mr. Millais says of the Long-tailed Duck in 

 the passage quoted above that it uses its feet only, while 

 Dr. C. W. To\\-nsend (Aid; 1909, p. 240) contends that this 

 duck as well as the Harlequin, the Eiders and the Scoters 

 use their wings under water. 



In the accounts of " Habits " we find a number of quotations 

 from Naumann placed within inverted commas, and often 

 without any statement that they are translations. On pages 

 125 and 139 there are two quotations from an article in the 

 Ibis by Messrs. H. J. and C. E. Pearson, and in comparing 

 these with the origina we found to our astonishment that 

 they were paraphrases and not even correct in detail. 

 Shpshod work of this character can easily be avoided, 

 and such errors should not occur in any scientific work 

 and especially in a monograph of this kind. But we regret 

 to find further evidence of careless quotation as well as 

 a number of misprints, e.g. the name of the Goldeneye 

 is given in the Contents as Clangula glaticion, but in the 

 text as Clangula clangula ; on page 6 we have W. E. Clark 

 for Clarke and Carmagne for Camargue; on page 19 Howard 

 Saunders is referred to as W. Saunders and Mr. Millais 

 has evidently not consulted the original from which he 

 quotes ; on page 83 we find Garganay and on page 94 

 "there " mstead of " then " ; on page 8 British Birds (Vol. II., 

 p. 416) is given as the authority for the statement that the 



* This account seems to have escaped Mr. Millais's attention. 



