276 THE DIVING DUCKS 



displaying, like a flash of flame, the orange coloured legs." l This is 

 the most complete form of the ritual of courtship, which is curtailed and 

 varied in some instances. The female is generally passive, but some- 

 times responds by protruding her head close to the water in front, and 

 then bringing it up so that it also points to the zenith. Dr. Townsend 

 proceeds to mention some of the ways in which this remarkable per- 

 formance varies individually. Dr. Heinroth's observations on European 

 birds agree well with this description, but some interesting points are 

 added. For instance, the method of driving away intruders is most 

 remarkable, and resembles the plan of attack adopted by the great 

 crested-grebe. The attacker dives and swims rapidly under water in 

 the direction of his opponent, making his onslaught from below, usually 

 with immediate success. Dr. Heinroth also noted that ducks when 

 quarrelling with one another also adopted this plan, which seems 

 to differ from that of any other species of duck. The actions of 

 courtship may be seen repeated in the autumn, though in the case of 

 the young males it is incompletely carried out. 



It is unnecessary here to describe the nesting habits of this species, 

 as they have already been dealt with in the " Classified Notes." It is, 

 however, still something of a problem how the young are brought 

 down to the water after they are hatched, as the observations recorded 

 differ. It has been stated that they are conveyed to the water in the 

 parent's bill, but W. Brewster, writing of the American subspecies, 2 

 quotes the evidence of R A. Gilbert, that the old duck appeared at 

 the entrance of the hole and sat there for five minutes, during which 

 time her head was turned incessantly in every direction within her 

 field of view. She then withdrew herself into the hole for a minute, 

 and on reappearing watched as before for five minutes longer. She 

 then flew down to the water and swam round a stump which projected 

 from the water, calling. At the third time she stopped directly under 



1 Cf. The Auk, 1910, p. 177. This should be compared with the descriptions already given 

 of the courting attitudes of the pochard and scaup. 

 1 The Auk, 1900, p. 207. 



