62 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



day I came upon a rabbit burrow, at the mouth of 

 which lay a Goosander's egg, newly laid, and sur- 

 rounded by several broken shells of a considerable 

 age. Looking inside I was delighted to see a 

 Goosander sitting closely so closely, indeed, that 

 although I felt the eggs under her, she would not 

 leave the nest, but pecked vigorously at my hand. 



GOOSANDER'S NEST WITH EGGS COVERED WITH DOWN DURING 

 PARENT BIRD'S ABSENCE. 



There were altogether nine eggs, but the mother 

 bird was only sitting upon seven, as one was lying 

 at the entrance to the burrow and another was 

 outside the nest further down the hole. 



When the eggs are first laid, the nest is only 

 a slight depression scraped in the burrow ; . but as 

 incubation advances the parent bird adds quantities 

 of down, with which she covers the eggs when she 

 is off feeding, which may be for hours at a time. 

 Although not exactly nesting in colonies, the Goos- 

 ander has favourite nesting sites, and several pairs 



