266 BAY, SEA OR DIVING DUCKS 



the fence for some 3 or 4 rods to the river. Down the rocky shore they 

 went and into the water. The old duck then sank low in the water and 

 the ducklings gathered over her back in a compact clump. She took 

 them across the bay to a bed of rushes, some 10 rods distant, where they 

 disappeared from sight." 



A study of this species was made by Brewster (1900); his assistant, 

 R. A. Gilbert, gives the following account of the young birds leaving the 

 nest: "At 6:45 the old duck appeared at the entrance to the nest, where 

 she sat for five minutes moving her head continually and looking about 

 in every direction included within her field of vision; then she sank back 

 out of sight, reappearing at the end of a minute and looking about as 

 before for another five minutes. At the end of this second period of 

 observation she flew down to the water and swam round the stub three 

 times, clucking and calling. On completing the third round she stopped 

 directly under the hole and gave a single loud cluck or call, when the 

 ducklings began scrambling up to the entrance and dropping down to 

 the water in such quick succession as to fall on top of one another. They 

 literally poured out of the nest much as shot would fall from one's hand. 

 One or two hesitated or paused for an instant on reaching the mouth of 

 the hole, but the greater number toppled out over the edge as soon as 

 they appeared. All used their tiny wings freely, beating them continu- 

 ously as they descended. They did not seem to strike the water with 

 much force." [See also "Life Story" of the Wood Duck.] 



Nearly three-quarters of the food of the Golden-eye is animal mat- 

 ter. The stomach contents of 395 of these ducks collected in 25 States, 

 Alaska and 5 Canadian Provinces, in every month of the year except 

 June and August, shows the average diet to be in the following approxi- 

 mate percentages: crustaceans (including crabs, 16), 32; insects (includ- 

 ing caddis flies, 12), 28; molluscs, 10; fishes, 3; miscellaneous, 1; total 

 animal food, 74 per cent. Pondweeds, 9; wild celery, 3; spatterdocks, 1; 

 grains (bait), 1; bulrushes, 1; miscellaneous plant food, 11; total vege- 

 table food, 26 per cent. It was found that during May and October 

 more than half the food was vegetable, yet, strangely, in July the small- 

 est quantity (10.5 per cent) of plant food was consumed. Gravel com- 

 prises about 25 per cent of the total gizzard content. 



When migrating, Golden-eyes fly in small flocks and usually at a 

 considerable altitude. They are very strong and active on the wing and 

 may often he seen high in the air, circling about the lakes and over the 

 tree tops, singly or in pairs, the female generally in the lead. When 

 rising from the water they circle several times to gain height and seldom 

 travel close to the water. They are good divers and usually dive with 

 the wings held tightly to the sides. When feeding, they dive with ease 

 and grace, disappearing without the slightest splash, but if alarmed they 

 plunge roughly and rapidly under. Millais (1913), describing a pere- 



frine making a stoop at these Golden-eyes, says that the duck when they 

 rst saw the peregrine were about 80 yards in the air; they immediately 

 closed their wings and dropped, as if shot, to the surface of the water. 



