GOLDEN-EYED DUCK. 369 



top of an old tower in Sussex, and always safely 

 conveyed her young ones to the ground. I have 

 also frequently heard of their building in old 

 crows' nests on the top of high trees." 



Mr. Selby records an instance of a somewhat 

 similar kind, but adopts a different explanation of 

 it. A wild duck, near his own residence, laid 

 her eggs in the old nest of a crow, at least thirty 

 feet from the ground. At this elevation she 

 hatched her young ; and, as none of them were 

 found dead beneath the tree, it was presumed 

 she carried them safely to the ground in her bill 

 " a mode of conveyance," says Mr. Selby, kn own 

 to be frequently adopted by the eider-duck." In a 

 note, supplied to Mr. Yarrell by Mr. Dann, occur 

 some remarks which throw some light upon this 

 interesting action. " There have been," says the 

 writer, "speculations and opinions as to the mode 

 the golden-eyed duck adopts to carry its young 

 down from the holes of trees in which they are 

 hatched, which are frequently twelve or fifteen 

 feet from the ground, and at some distance from 

 the water. That the bird does transport them is 

 beyond doubt there is but one person who has 

 ever actually witnessed the manner. Mr. Nillson 



B B 



