292 TACHYERES CINE REUS 



where they are constantly disturbed or pursued they are exceedingly wary and move 

 off at the slightest indication of danger (Cunningham, 1871; Crawshay, 1907; etc.). 

 William Percy made the following remarks about those he saw on the coast of Chile at 

 the end of the breeding season. Where they are unmolested they are not naturally 

 shy or wild, but very little persecution makes them so, and they then exhibit excel- 

 lent judgment in the selection of rocks upon which to rest, places that are unap- 

 proachable from any direction without warning. This combined with their amazing 

 speed when they get into the water, and their almost reptilian vitality makes them 

 difficult to secure in frequented localities. 



Daily Movements. Little has been written on this subject. Like other sea 

 ducks they are day-feeders. William Percy has been kind enough to send me very full 

 notes about his recent experiences with these ducks and I am glad to be able to quote 

 them verbatim. 



"The immature and non-breeding birds were in small parties or large packs which 

 seemed to consist of one-, two-, and three-year-old birds and very few showed the 

 white head of the adult male. The daily habit of these packs, one of which numbered 

 83 birds in the Guaytecas Islands, and another 87 birds at Pumalin (i.e., Yelcho on 

 the mainland), was to feed during high water along the fringe of kelp, and so soon as 

 the rocks became uncovered, to split up into small parties, or more generally pairs, 

 clamber up on to the rocks and spend the hours of low water preening and quarrel- 

 ling. They are then most entertaining birds to watch for they seem possessed of only 

 one idea apart from sleeping and preening and that is to defend the rock upon which 

 they sit against all comers. There would always be birds floating along the edge of 

 the rocks which had not found a suitable perch, and the possessors of a rock, if un- 

 able to deter newcomers from joining them by opening their beaks and 'making 

 faces' at them, were frequently compelled to withstand a direct assault. The new- 

 comer is generally repelled as he is at a disadvantage in clambouring up the rock, but 

 such slight assistance as a swell giving him the necessary impetus not infrequently 

 enables him to displace the holders of the rock of which the newcomer or newcomers 

 then proudly take possession, ruffling up their feathers and 'making one more face' 

 at the departing forms of the dispossessed. A small party is generally fairly friendly 

 and will sleep peaceably for hours but amongst a large pack there is always a con- 

 stant movement caused by this continual demand for a good rock. 



"The most interesting habit of these birds which I noticed on the small islands off 

 Chiloe was that they regularly left the sea more than once in the 24 hours and went 

 considerable distances inland to springs of fresh water. On one island solely in- 

 habited by breeding pairs, there were several large caves extending more than 100 

 yards into the hillside. At the head of these caves, and also at other places more 

 than 300 yards from the sea and through more or less dense vegetation, were small 



