922 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
together at a time, while in the winter of the following 
year immense flocks visited us. A few stragglers are 
occasionally found on the brooks, and in February, 1848, 
I saw a male bird for several successive days on the 
stream at the bottom of my own garden. Some floating 
rubbish had accumulated against a wooden grating, 
which stretched across the stream, and here the bird was 
feeding ; but on my sudden approach it immediately 
took wing, uttering its alarm cry, which greatly resem- 
bled the wild duck’s, but considerably shriller. On each 
of the following days I succeeded, under cover of a 
hedge, in getting within three or four yards, where I 
could watch it unperceived, and was greatly interested 
in its exceedingly lively active habits; but a very slight 
sound was sufficient to awaken its alarm, causing it to 
look round with a glance of its quick eye, erect its 
pendant crest, and take to flight if the sound was 
repeated. 
I was one day watching a large flock of this species 
on Thoresby Lake, amused by their incessant diving and 
their active chases after each other, when I witnessed a 
singular freak on the part of a female, of turning herself 
over in the water and floating on her back for several 
minutes, while with her feet she appeared to be preening 
the feathers of the belly. 
Towards the beginning of April the tufted ducks com- 
mence leaving us for the north, not taking their depar- 
ture all at once, but gradually diminishing their numbers. 
In some years their stay is more prolonged than in 
others—doubtless influenced by the weather; for in 
1856, when the spring was unusually cold and uncon- 
genial, they remained with us until May 13, on which 
day I saw a great number engaged as usual in diving 
