60 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



receives "impressions" of the nearness of food. It 

 has been stated that neither a Curlew, Woodcock, 

 or Snipe has ever been found starved to death. 

 A few winters ago, however, I noticed during severe 

 weather a Woodcock flying about a plantation, 

 although there was no marshy land near, and a 

 day or two later found it lying dead amongst some 

 leaves, and so thin that starvation was evidently 

 the cause of death. 



There is no doubt that within recent years these 

 birds have greatly increased with us as a nesting 

 species, and probably before long will be commonly 

 met with during the summer months throughout 

 Great Britain. 



THE GOOSANDER 



UNTIL 1879 this handsome duck was not known to 

 nest in the British Isles, but is now met with fairly 

 abundantly on many Scottish rivers, where it 

 remains throughout the year, although I think its 

 numbers increase during the nesting season. The 

 birds mate in early spring, but the eggs are not 

 laid before the beginning of June, or even later. 

 They number from nine to twelve, and are similar 

 to those of the Mallard, only considerably larger, 

 and perhaps of a darker tinge. 



While nearly every keeper I have come across has 

 told me he knows the bird well, yet not one has ever 

 seen the nest, although they have often met with 

 the young ones. The reason for this is that the 

 nest is placed in the most unlooked-for situations, 

 usually well down an old rabbit burrow. I had for 

 years looked unsuccessfully for a nest, until one 



