AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE 265 



place the bird often springs forward kicking the water in a spurt out be- 

 hind, and displaying like a flash of flame the orange-colored legs." Al- 

 ford (1921) says: "Though the habit of lying more or less prone upon 

 the water is common to most females of the Anatidae when they desire 

 to pair, the duck Golden-eye carries this performance beyond all normal 

 bounds; her behavior on such occasions being, indeed, scarcely less amaz- 

 ing than that of the drake. With neck outstretched and her body quite 

 limp and apparently lifeless, she allows herself to drift upon the surface 

 exactly after the manner of a dead bird. When first I witnessed this 

 maneuver I was completely deceived, for she remained thus drifting to- 

 ward the shore and with the male swimming round her for fully 15 min- 

 utes before actual pairing took place." 



This Golden-eye invariably nests in the cavity of a tree or dead 

 stump and whenever possible will select a site near, and preferably over, 

 water. Any kind of cavity, so long as it is large enough to admit the 

 duck, will be occupied; the height from the ground will vary from 5 to 

 60 feet and the nest itself may be as much as 15 feet below the opening. 

 It is surprising through what a small entrance the duck will squeeze; 

 Brews ter (1909) states that he once saw a nest to which the only access 

 was by means of a vertical slit so narrow and jagged that it would barely 

 admit his flattened hand; and Bent (1925) says that he measured an 

 opening which was only 3 inches wide by 4i/ z inches deep; he also states 

 that the female is alleged to desert the nest if the eggs have been handled, 

 and that this proved to be the case in the only two instances in which he 

 tried it. The number of eggs varies from 5 to 19 but the usual clutch is 

 from 8 to 12; they are pale green to olivaceous green in colour and are 

 quite different in appearance from those of any other duck except the 

 Barrow's Golden-eye. The average size is 2.35 by 1.71 inches. The in- 

 cubation period is about 20 days and incubation is performed by the 

 female alone. The Hooded Merganser frequently lays its eggs in the nest 

 of this species. 



It has been stated that the mother duck transports her young from 

 their high nest by carrying them either in her bill or upon her back to 

 the nearest water. Phillips, however, who investigated this subject more 

 thoroughly than anyone else, could find no convincing evidence to sub- 

 stantiate such statements. The normal method of descent is for the 

 young ducklings to jump from the nest-entrance when they are about 

 two days old. Macartney (1918) describes one such performance, and 

 there are many well accredited accounts of a similar nature. He says 

 that one afternoon a mother duck "was seen at the foot of the tree, 

 standing on the ground. She gave several low quacks or calls, and out 

 of the hole in the tree overhead promptly tumbled about a baker's dozen 

 of fledgling ducks. They were unable to fly, but were sufficiently grown 

 to be able to ease their fall to the earth, and not unlike a flock of butter- 

 flies, they came down pell-mell, fluttering and tumbling, some of them 

 heels over head, until they reached the ground, unharmed. The tree was 

 nearly but not quite perpendicular, so they were unable to scramble 

 down. The old bird gathered them in a bunch and piloted them along 



