358 CLANGULA HYEMALIS 



of over forty-five feet, and it is very likely that at extreme depths they are not feed- 

 ing on bottom but are pursuing fish or other swimming creatures. 



The ordinary dive is apt to be somewhat longer than the Scaup's or the Golden- 

 eye's, varying from thirty or forty to fifty or sixty seconds. Much shorter dives in 

 shallow water are by no means unusual. The longest period I have seen mentioned 

 is one of ninety seconds, timed by L. M. Turner (MS.), and it is noticed that after 

 these very long dives there is a longer period above water, perhaps one or two 

 minutes. At a depth of thirty-five feet one stayed under for sixty-five to seventy 

 seconds (J. A. Anderson, 1920a). Usually when bottom-feeding at ordinary 

 depths the rest period is short, say from six to twelve seconds. When coming up 

 from a dive a soft bubbling sound can be heard, as in other diving ducks, caused by 

 the sudden intake of air through the wet nostrils. Most of the food is swallowed 

 under water. Both this duck and the Harlequin, as well as the Scoters, often use 

 their wings under water. This has been noted by many good observers. Even before 

 the dive, or rather just as the bird disappears, the wings can be seen half open 

 (Saxby, 1874; C. W. Townsend, 1909; Burtch, 1923). 



It seems that when shooting up to the surface and prepared for an instant flight 

 they also may hold the wings open (H. W. Robinson, 1913). 



If shot at when flying the Long-tail will sometimes dive from the wing, even 

 though unhurt, as I have seen often enough, and if wing-broken they waste no 

 time on the surface. 



Flight. Their appearance in the air is most characteristic. They fly low, and 

 with a swinging undulatory flight, dodging through the hollows of the waves and 

 flashing their white breasts, first to one side and then to the other, unlike the more 

 steady and bullet-like progress of Golden-eyes, Scoters or Eiders. But perhaps the 

 most characteristic feature, and one that identifies them at almost any range, broad- 

 side-on, is the peculiar direction or curve of the wing stroke. Just how this actually 

 differs from that of other ducks it would be hard to say without a series of com- 

 parative photographs, but the impression on the eye was well brought out by 

 Griscom (1922-23). He explains that the wings are held more curved, which pro- 

 duces the following effect. The wing-tips, instead of moving up and down at right 

 angles to the body, seem to be directed backward toward the tail during the down- 

 stroke. Also the wing is brought less above the body during the upstroke, and much 

 lower during the downstroke than in any other duck. He also called attention to the 

 trick of "keeling over" a little to one side in flight. 



Another marked characteristic of the Long-tail is the way in which it suddenly 

 plumps down from the wing, striking the water with its breast and making a splash, 

 not gliding on down as other ducks do. 



The silhouette of the Old-squaw in flight is also far different from that of the 



