SPINOUS SQUAT-DUCK. 405 



level with the surface. If they suspect danger, 

 they gradually sink wholly under water; and if 

 suddenly alarmed they thus immerse themselves 

 in a moment, not diving as other water birds do, but 

 sinking as they sit, causing scarcely a ruffle of 

 the surface. I have found them excessively wary, 

 and difficult to shoot; because if they come up 

 and still suspect danger, they immediately sink 

 again, and remain beneath an incredible while, 

 even for several hours, unless they can manage 

 to expose the nostrils to the surface without 

 appearing. When they do rise, it is in the 

 same noiseless, almost imperceptible manner, and 

 in the same posture as they went down. Occa- 

 sionally they fly, or rather flutter with much 

 flapping of wings, and apparently painful exer- 

 tion, across the pond, splashing the surface as 

 they go ; and I have seen one take a higher 

 flight across the road to the lower water. When 

 undisturbed, they sit long in one place, and spend 

 a good deal of time in smoothing their plumage. 



The stomach of the specimen I obtained, a male, 

 from which the description was taken, contained 

 only seeds mostly comminuted. 



From a recent letter of Mr. Hill's I extract 

 the following notes. "We have certainly two if 

 not three diff'erent Pond Ducks. With two I am 

 familiarly acquainted. One is a very beautiful 

 little bird, with such a prevalence of yellow and 

 red ochre in the plumage, and with the usual 



