382 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Straits. I have specimens in my collection from the extreme 

 western, southern and eastern portions of the continent, which 

 present no differences sufficiently marked to establish a second 

 species. It frequents deep bays and inlets of the sea, the up- 

 per part of rivers, lakes, and secluded pools. More than a 

 a pair are rarely seen at one time ; often a solitary individual 

 takes up its abode in some favourite pool, where it lives a 

 life of complete seclusion, depending for its food and for its 

 preservation from danger upon its powers of diving rather than 

 upon those of flying. Although I have many times come 

 suddenly upon this bird I could never force it to take wing, 

 even when I surprised it at one of those small water-holes 

 that are frequently met with in the beds of rivers during 

 droughts, instead of attempting to escape by flight, it would 

 immediately dive and remain submerged for a great length of 

 time, merely rising to the surface at long intervals for the 

 purpose of breathing. It would seem that neither large sheets 

 of water nor reaches of rivers are necessary for the well-being 

 of this species, for I often met with it on the smallest water- 

 holes, where it lives a solitary life, and allows no other species 

 to share with it the small amount of animal life which is 

 found in such places ; and I quite agree with Lieut. Bre- 

 ton, K.N., who says " he has never heard of any instance 

 in which more than two were seen together. It is extremely 

 difficult to shoot, on account of the readiness with which it 

 dives ; the instant the trigger is drawn, the bird is under 

 water. The chief food of the Musk-Duck is mussels, leeches, 

 and aquatic worms. In Western Australia it is said to 

 leave the rivers in August, and to take up its abode for 

 the purpose of breeding in the numerous lakes which 

 stretch along parallel to the coast ; a precaution probably 

 taken for the better protection of the eggs, which would 

 become an easy prey to the natives and colonists, were the 

 task of incubation performed on the banks of the narrow 

 rivers and pools ; besides which, the lakes not being subjx^ct to 



