WHITE-EYED DUCK 201 



adds that he seldom found them asleep like other ducks between eleven and three 

 and, more suggestive still, he seldom killed them when flight shooting. 



Naumann (1896-1905) thought that in Germany they passed to larger and more 

 open waters at night. Dalgliesh (1908), speaking of Bengal, thought that during 

 the day they kept to the shelter of rushes, "feeding some and sleeping a great deal." 

 On the other hand in Egypt, where small enclosed waters are not to be had, Shelley 

 (1872) found them far out in the center of the great lakes of the Fayum in the day- 

 time. The nature of the country makes such a difference in the habits of all water- 

 fowl that it is sometimes very difficult to hit upon any specifically characteristic 

 habits. 



Gait, Swimming and Diving. This is an extreme type of diving duck, which 

 means that they are seldom found more than a few feet from water and are best 

 adapted to that element. When startled they run down to the water's edge with a 

 clumsy, shuffling gait. They are, of course, splendid swimmers and as far as diving is 

 concerned, they are easily more expert than the Pochards. In Hume's language, 

 "they swim with great rapidity and dive like the I was going to use an in- 

 appropriate simile, but they dive marvellously." They can remain under a long 

 time, from 40 to 50 seconds, Hume thinks, and Naumann says they can stay as long 

 as any other species or longer. However, they do not like to feed in very deep 

 water, three or four feet being about right, while they get some food by merely 

 tipping up. 



Wounded birds are considered almost impossible to secure. "The instant that, 

 wounded, they touch the water, they disappear, and not infrequently that is the last 

 you see of them; at most they only rise once or twice, and then disappear for good. 

 It is a waste of time to pursue them; if they do rise give them instantly a second 

 barrel." Even the best dogs, says this Indian sportsman, are often baffled by this 

 little duck and more often than not are apt to return from the chase after several 

 minutes with their tails between their legs and a general crest-fallen appearance. 



Flight. Not so strong on the wing as the Tufted Duck or the Pochard, these 

 birds rise with some difficulty, especially if there is no wind, striking the water with 

 their feet in an effort to get under way. They do not fly particularly fast, nor do 

 they care about rising high in the air. Although there is nothing especially char- 

 acteristic in their manner of flying to contrast with other common diving ducks, they 

 are less apt to go a long distance. "Rising out of the reeds they fluster up and go off 

 much like Partridges with a low, straight flight, often dropping suddenly, almost 

 Quail-like, after a short flight." 



Really large flocks are seldom, if ever, seen together. Even where they are in great 

 numbers they always tend to break up into parties of three or four, or small flocks. 



