496 ANA^TID^. 



the Pacific to the Atlantic, nesting as far north as latitude 

 73° ; its winter migrations extending as far south as the 

 Bermudas. 



The nest of this species is placed on the ground, amongst 

 heather, brushwood, or long grass, and is often well con- 

 cealed beneath a projecting slab of rock, or at the extremity 

 of a small tunnel leading to the centre of a thick growth of 

 bushes and briars. The lining consists of a light grey 

 down with a bluish tint, and the eggs, which seldom 

 exceed ten in number, are drab-coloured with a greenish 

 tinge, and average in measurement 2'6 by 1*7 in. They 

 are usually laid in the latter part of May or early in June. 

 On a small island in Lake My-vatn, Iceland, Mr. C. W. 

 Shepherd found this species nesting in holes among the 

 broken lava, and a female was seen sitting on a nest in 

 which there were also four eggs of Barrow's Golden-eye. 



Mr. E. Booth, describing the beautiful bay of Gairloch in 

 Ross-shire, before the erection of the new hotel, says : — " I 

 have repeatedly watched two or three females fishing in a 

 small burn running down within ten yards of the front door 

 of the inn. The party swam in one by one from the bay 

 with the flood, and, joining in company at the top of high 

 water, made their way beneath the bridge, where they eagerly 

 searched the small pools for fish. These birds, as far as I 

 could judge, were sitting on the islands in the bay, and 

 regularly left their nests at this time of tide to seek for food 

 along the shore. The males were seldom seen near at hand, 

 though one would occasionally join the flock if they got on 

 wing after being disturbed. As the females swam back 

 towards the islands where their nests were concealed, a drake 

 would occasionally accompany his mate a short distance, but 

 invariably got on wing before the foot of the rocks was 

 reached. I have more than once had the glasses on the spot 

 to watch the bird make her way to the nest after having 

 observed her leave the water ; but although well aware of 

 the exact position of the eggs, she invariably managed to 

 regain her quarters unobserved. In some instances I de- 

 tected a regular track beneath the heather, along which she 



