298 INDIAN DUCKS 



on the rotten cliips of wood without any nest, like a woodpecker. 

 These breeding-places are socnetimes a considerable distance from 

 the ground. In the valley of the Petchora I have seen one at least 

 twenty-five feet from the ground ; but one I saw in the valley of 

 the Yenesay was not more than half as high. It has been seen to 

 convey its young one by one down to the water pressed between its 

 Ijill and its breast." 



Dresser's remarks re the breeding of the Golden-eye have been 

 already quoted by Hume, and I again reproduce part of them : — 



In the north of Finland, in Sweden, and in Norway, it nests in 

 hollow trees, either near to or at some distance from the water, and 

 very frequently in the nest-boxes which the peasants hang up for 

 water-fowl to breed in. These are frequently hung up close to the 

 peasants' huts : and even then the Golden Eye will nest in them. 

 The bottom of a hollow tree oi' nest-box is neatly lined with down ; 

 and on this soft bed the eggs, which vary in number from ten or 

 twelve to seventeen or even nineteen, are deposited. When hatched, 

 the young birds are carried by the female in her beak down to the 

 ground, or to tlie water, one after another being taken down until 

 the whole brood is taken in safety from the elevated breeding-])lace, 

 and I have been assured by the peasants that this always takes 

 place in the dead of the night. Tlie eggs of this duck are dull 

 greyish-green, uniform in tinge, and rather glossy in texture of shell, 

 oval in shape, and in size average about 2'4 X 1'55 inches ; and the 

 down with which the nest is lined is sooty greyish-white, the tips of 

 the down being rather darker than the central portion." 



It would seem that, in the majority of cases, Golden-eye select 

 sites by fresh water for breeding-purposes, but they also sometimes 

 breed on or near the coast. 



Dates describes the nest-down as pale lavender-grey with paler 

 centres. 



The British Museum eggs vary in length from '2'1 to 2'4 inches, 

 and in breadth Ijetween 1'55 and 1'75. Gates says that in colour 

 they are greyish-green of different shades. 



I have parts of two clutches of eggs of this duck in my collection, 

 both of which I owe to the generosity of Herr Kuschel, of Breslau. 

 The first clutch, which are marked " Barepta, Siid-Eussiand, 4th 

 May, 1889," are the greenest ducks' eggs I have ever seen, quite 

 a vivid stone-green, though the three vary a little, inter se, in 

 brightness of tint and intensity of colour. The texture is very fine 



