298 THE SAWBILLED-DUCKS 



longest dive was timed at one hundred and ten seconds. Mr. G. H. 

 Caton Haig, who has watched these birds on the estuaries of the Welsh 

 coast, is of opinion that the wings are not used in diving either by 

 this species or the redbreasted-merganser, but that they dive with 

 closed wings, as the grebes and the cormorants do. Although this is 

 apparently the case, as a rule, it is quite probable that the wings are 

 occasionally used, for Macgillivray states that mergansers "shoot 

 along under the water with partially outspread wings," and Saxby 

 states that the same species " invariably uses its wings as well as its 

 feet" when diving. There is also good evidence that the cormorant 

 when hard pressed will use its wings, so that probably these birds 

 make use of the additional means of propulsion when necessary, but 

 not otherwise. When flushed from the water the goosander does not 

 rise at once, but patters along the surface for some way like the coot 

 and waterhen. When once on the wing, however, it moves at a good 

 pace. When fishing in a river it shows a tendency to keep in the 

 middle of the stream, as far from the bank as possible, and when no 

 open sheet of water is at hand, will fly a considerable distance to the 

 coast and ride out the night at sea, returning to its feeding-grounds 

 at the first streak of dawn and flying high in the air. When wounded 

 or alarmed it possesses the power of sinking its body in the water so 

 that nothing is visible but the dark snake-like head and neck, and in 

 broken water is by no means easy to distinguish. As a walker it is 

 not nearly so awkward and clumsy as the diving ducks, which can only 

 waddle with difficulty on land, but owing to the position of the feet 

 has to adopt a very upright carriage, and can scuttle along at a very 

 fair pace when necessary. When resting close to the water's edge 

 it will, however, shuffle along on its breast into the water without 

 adopting the upright position at all. 



The nesting-sites of this species have been already described : in 

 some districts the hollows in the stumps of old and decayed trees, 

 especially alders, are generally used, but in other parts, where there 

 is not much old timber, holes and crevices in the ground of some kind 



