54 LAMPRONESSA SPONSA 



perfectly wild bird allowing herself to be stroked while she was sitting (J. Dixon, 

 1924). 



Daily Movements. They are active in the evening, and I was once able to time 

 the accuracy of their evening flight by watching a flock of some twenty birds that 

 came regularly to my enclosed duck pond at Wenham in August, 1913. I found that 

 this flock did not vary in the time of its arrival more than fifteen minutes. They ar- 

 rived in small groups between 6 : 25 and 6 : 40 and remained all night unless disturbed. 

 I have also found flocks feeding and calling to one another very actively late on 

 moonlight nights in October, while captive birds may be heard calling at all hours of 

 darkness but especially, of course, on warm spring nights. Audubon speaks of shoot- 

 ing many on their regular flights in the course of an hour of twilight. 



Heinroth (1911), in his remarkable essay on the psychology of the Carolina Duck, 

 has made so many new and interesting observations upon the free-flying specimens 

 living under quite natural conditions in the Berlin Zoological Gardens that I shall 

 extract from him very freely. His work and that of Audubon comprised until re- 

 cently about all we knew of the intimate habits of this species. Like most ducks, 

 says Heinroth, the Carolina Duck is most vivacious in the morning and evening 

 hours. At this time it flies about, searches for nourishment, and makes the acquaint- 

 ance of other members of its species. The relatively large eyes enable the bird to fly 

 well through the trees of a wood, even when darkness is quite deep. Yet the Man- 

 darin Duck is even more nocturnal. In the later hours of the forenoon Carolina 

 Ducks usually rest like other water-fowl, standing on one leg, with bill hidden under 

 the feathers of the shoulder, either on the shore or on branches or stumps in the 

 water. Later on, during the noon hours they regularly bathe, as all geese, ducks, 

 and swans do, and the bath is preceded by the well-known "playing chase," during 

 which are practiced all the tricks of eluding the enemy. This flying, diving, and 

 splashing becomes contagious and soon all members of the pond are participating. 

 Even very young ones may take part in this play. The bath over, the birds swim to 

 shore, shake themselves, and beat their wings against their sides; then after remov- 

 ing the water they go through the well-known oiling process. This period is followed 

 by one of less activity, and the afternoon is spent in "puddling" around the shores. 

 As twilight begins to come on, first single couples and then whole flocks rise and fly to 

 other waters. Many fly over the fences in order to search for worms on the lawns of 

 the gardens. These habits are varied greatly according to the season and the weather, 

 and on thick foggy or rainy mornings the flight period is delayed. 



Swimming, Gait, Perching. Carolina Ducks sit lightly upon the water, with the 

 long tail held higher than in most other ducks making an excellent field-mark. The 

 elevation at which the tail is carried is probably conditioned by the degree of excite- 



