GOLDEN-EYE 315 



and at times lies out flat on the water even though no actual mating takes place. 

 Gerald Legge (in Millais, 1913) saw in captive females a good deal more than this. 

 A certain old bird would suddenly throw up her head and neck until the bill was quite 

 perpendicular, and at the same time gave her loud call. This bird also kicked the 

 water with both feet (one after the other) but did not raise the water as high as the 

 male. Lilford (1895) saw his captive females in display. These actions in the female 

 must, I think, be very rare, perhaps not normal, but we know of similar imitative 

 display of the female in other species of ducks. A curious hollow groaning note like 

 owhh was heard from a female by Harper on the Athabasca, which seemed to stimu- 

 late the male to throw back his head on to his rump. Occasional rough and tumble 

 fights are witnessed between males and there is more or less of competition on the 

 breeding grounds. Actual mating has been observed as early as February 2 (Alford, 

 1920) but as a rule one sees little actual pairing during the whole month of April. 



I have no account of the mating or nuptial flight in the Golden-eye and can only 

 suppose that it must be absent, as it is in most (?) diving ducks. 



The nesting season is not especially early in Europe, late April and May in Ger- 

 many, from June 1 onward in northern Finland (A. Newton, 1907; S. A. Davies, 

 1905) and in Lapland and northern Russia all through June. They are certainly 

 preceded by the Mallard as a rule. 



They usually begin to lay in northern New England and New York in late May 

 and continue through June according to the season. A record of hatching on June 8 

 at Umbagog Lake is given by Brewster. I have seen young at least two weeks old in 

 Maine the first week in July. In North Dakota eggs have been found as early as 

 May 30 (Bent, 1901-02) and in Saskatchewan during June. In the delta of the 

 Athabasca a few must nest by May 25 for the first downy young were seen on June 

 29 by Harper (MS.), but early June is probably the average time for the first eggs. 



On the Yukon, in Alaska, eggs have been taken June 18 (Baird, Brewer and Ridg- 

 way, 1884). 



Although the typical site for a nest is fairly well up in the hollow of a dead tree, it 

 appears that sometimes, perhaps when the usual places are not available, the eggs 

 are laid rather carelessly on the ground. These cases, however, if they really do 

 occur, are wholly exceptional (see Naumann, 1896-1905; Plathe, 1904). 



In northern Europe the habits are exactly as they are here. They choose any 

 opening in hollow trees such as those occupied by woodpeckers. Various species of 

 trees especially birches with holes from twelve to twenty-five or thirty feet above 

 ground, situated as a rule near or over the water are favorite places. Heights of fifty 

 or sixty feet have been mentioned and at times they choose trees that are a good 

 distance from the water. The actual nest-opening may be very small, a mere crack 

 scarcely wide enough to admit the hand, say three inches by four and one-half (Bent, 

 1901-02), although those usually selected are a little larger. The nest may be on a 



