198 OLIVER V. APLIN: A VISIT TO RAINWORTH LODGE. 



pensities; also the beautiful Wax Heath {Erica tetralix). A Teal, 

 neat in form and plumage, sat like a cork on the water, from which 

 he sprang with the quickness and ease peculiar to these diminutive 

 ducks : and under the shelter of some dead flags squatted a fine old 

 male Shoveller— quite the most beautifully-coloured of any of our 

 wild fowl, with his dark-green head, white-mottled back, and bright 

 chestnut flanks. The ' L' pond is beautifully kept up, a broad bank 

 of smooth turf bordering the water, in places backed with clumps of 

 rhododendrons, which in other parts come down to the water's edge. 

 A turf or sod bank is thrown up along some portions of the bank for 

 the convenience of the guns when the ducks are shot, and this affords, 

 means for the naturalist to stalk close up to the fowl. A few hurried 

 lines in my note-book run somewhat as follows : — ' Walking in a 

 stooping posture under shelter of the sod bank, the hot sun roasting 

 our backs, we came close on to eight pairs of Tufted 'Ducks. The 

 hen Tuftie always rises first (and this, Mr. Whitaker says, is 

 invariably the case), followed by her partner, who is ever closely in 

 attendance on the water, a yard or two in the rear ; the cry on rising 

 is 'curr-ug.' A Kingfisher darted along under the bank, wending his 

 way probably to the Sand Martins' burrows. A few minutes later 

 three Mallards rose, and we crawled up to a pair of Shovellers: these 

 have, on rising, a monosyllabic note, of which the word 'tuck' in a 

 low guttural tone gives a pretty good idea ; the somewhat rosy tint of 

 the duck's bill is noticeable, and the curious shape, too, of the bill 

 can be seen in flight ; the shape of the bird, also, is peculiar, the 

 wings appearing to be set very far back. A female Sparrow Hawk 

 soared overhead in the brilliant sky, the Heron ' fraaked ' from the 

 wooded slopes of Bishops Hill behind us, whence came also the 

 ^ coo ' of the Ring Doves, and the clap-clap of their wings.' The 

 Tufted Duck pairs in March, but breeds late, not going to nest until 

 the end of May or the first week in June. The nest is placed on the 

 bank close to the water, sometimes under the shelter of a bush (that 

 on the Lodge island is generally under a rhododendron), and is 

 formed of grass and a few rushes. It lays from eight to thirteen eggs, 

 and has sometimes been seen with twelve or thirteen young. In 

 August 1883, I saw on this water four broods of young still in down, 

 numbering nine, eight, five, and four, and making, with the old ducks 

 and four drakes by themselves, thirty-four birds in sight at once. 

 I remarked that they sought safety by keeping to the middle of the 

 water, instead of in the shelter of the reeds, trusting to their powers, 

 of diving, at which accomplishment the young were quite adept, 

 constantly going under for food. An old drake, too, wishing to 

 increase the distance between himself and his human observers, 



Naturalist,. 



