WHITE-EYED DUCK 207 



would be kept more often on ornamental waters, for it does very well under restraint 

 and may be called a moderately free breeder. It is, however, much easier crossed 

 with Tufted Ducks and Pochards than bred in pure strain. In England Lord Grey, 

 Mr. H. Wormald, Mr. St. Quintin and probably some others have been successful 

 in rearing them, while in Holland Mr. Blaauw considers them " very free breeders." 

 But let not the unwary amateur expect to have the success of such experts else he 

 will almost certainly be disappointed. If he has the good fortune to secure stock that 

 is healthy and not too much inbred he may have immediate good luck but as a rule 

 most of the diving ducks if wild-caught are exceedingly slow to nest. 



Mr. Wormald's earliest date for nesting in Norfolk, as he gave it to me, is April 

 19, which is about in line with the Common and Red-crested Pochards, and the Rosy- 

 billed Duck. 



White-eyes are seldom sent over to America and even the zoological gardens do 

 not often have them. A few years ago some were imported into New York under 

 the name of "Golden-eyes" and a few were bought by the National Zoological 

 Park in Washington. They have also been exhibited in New York from time to 

 time and the price paid has been $10.00 each, this being a pre-war figure. I have 

 never had them on my pond, and I doubt whether they have ever been reared in 

 confinement in America, except at the New York Zoological Park (Crandall, in 

 litt.). 



The price in England before the War was from £2 to £3 per pair, but they were 

 not very often offered, even at this figure. In France, Rogeron (1903) mentions 75 

 francs as having been paid by the Jardin d'Acclimatation. 



In captivity some live to a considerable age. In the Calcutta Gardens they have 

 lived at times "upwards of 7 years" (Sanyal, 1892) and in the gardens at Frankfort 

 a.-M. some lived as long as four to six years (Schmidt, 1878). The longest record is 

 that of J. H. Gurney, who knew of one that was fifteen years old (H. Saunders, 

 1899). 



The following notes, given by Mr. Blaauw (in Millais, 1913), refer to specimens 

 he kept in his gardens at Gooilust: "The duck makes her nest either in a box which 

 is placed on a pole in the water, and which is shaped like a small dog-kennel, or in 

 the sedge along the water's edge. The eggs are from 7 to 11 in number, and are 

 dark-buff, or pale coffee-brown in color. Incubation lasts from 27 to 28 days as a 

 rule. As soon as the young birds are full grown and able to fly the hides of the young 

 males begin to turn lighter in color, so that even before the autumn it is quite easy 

 to distinguish the sexes with certainty." He adds that the young are easily reared 

 on ants' "eggs," bread crumbs and duckweed. 



Hybrids. In the wild state the White-eye only crosses commonly with the 

 Common Pochard, though cases of a cross between it and the Common Scaup and 



