94 British Diving Ducks 
soon depreciate a stock of salmon and trout. Naumann says they eat "all sorts of water 
beetles, the larvae of these, and other water insects, occasionally worms and frogs are not 
despised"; and in a footnote Dr. E. Hartert says, "at the breeding places in summer they 
like change of diet, and also eat caterpillars, cockchafers, and burying-beetles " {Vdgel 
Mitteleuropas, x. p. 296). Apparently they do not eat water-plants. 
Naumann seems to think that a large flock of these birds will form a half-circle when 
swimming and all dive together and drive the fish into the shallows, where they are easily 
caught. This habit, clever as it is, and commonly employed by various species of 
Cormorant, must have confirmation in the case of the Goosander. I have always noticed 
that when fishing in a flock all the birds dive together with somewhat of a splash, and each 
pursues its prey separately, according to the movements of the fish. After the dive the 
flock reunites and swims together for a short distance before diving again. 
The perceptive powers of the Goosander are very acute, and it may be classed as one of 
the shyest of ducks, especially when in large flocks. By nature timid and wary, it only 
becomes less shy during the actual breeding season, and even then the limitations of its sur- 
roundings, whilst it permits man to come near, curtails the immediate retreat of the bird. I 
have never seen Goosanders associating with any other species ; and a single bird may often 
be seen frequenting the same pool or a river the whole winter. The cry is a harsh " Karr- 
karr," which is uttered more frequently by the female. They make use of it when rising to 
fly, pursuing one another, or when frightened. In the spring it is often heard when the 
love-making is in progress. 
The courtship of the male Goosander is of a simple character so far as I have seen 
it, and that is not often, so there may be other movements in the display which I have 
not seen. I have observed much commotion and chasing and throwing-up on the 
part of the males in parties of Goosander in a wild state, but have never been sufficiently 
close to make any notes that could be accepted as accurate from wild birds. It was 
not until the spring of 1900 that I found an adult male, a young male, and a female 
on a pond belonging to Mr. H. Dennis at Faygate. The adult male in his full show 
frequently half raised himself from the water, with the head and neck well drawn back 
in an S formation, the angle at the back of the neck being very acute. The crest was 
not displayed in any way, nor was any sound made, except when he chased away the 
young male who attempted to "show" in a half-hearted manner, then he made a harsh 
" karr." The female often opened her mouth, as if in playful protest to the advances of 
the male, but the latter assumed none of the extravagant attitudes nor displayed the 
curious grimaces exhibited by the male Red-breasted Merganser. On dropping to the 
water again the male occasionally raised the feathers on the crown, and kept moving 
the head and neck quickly back and forwards as it swam in an excited manner round 
the female. With regard to the courtship and nesting habits of the Goosander, Naumann 
says (Vogel Mitteleuropas, x. p. 297): 
"As the males already join company with the females during the latter part of their stay here 
[N. Germany] and appear to mate, many fights arise between the males for the females, and when they 
get to the breeding places these birds are generally already mated and immediately begin the business 
of breeding, whilst young males of the previous year first have to win their females by fighting there, 
and therefore are a couple of weeks later in going to nest, so that with the former this takes place at 
