Golden-Eye 
93 
the head the call " Keek-kee" is emitted, but sometimes it is given after the kick. During 
this show the female is either lying low on the water with neck depressed, or she is 
advancing towards her mate with head and neck outstretched, and somewhat similar in 
attitude to that of the male. Beyond this I have not seen the female make any show, but 
she also has a distinct form of responsive courtship, and for this discovery I am indebted to 
Mr. Gerald Legge, who writes as follows (April 4, 191 2): — 
" The female Golden-Eye has a very noticeable courtship as well as the male. She sinks her breast 
low in the water, which gives the impression of cocking up the tail, but I have satisfied myself that she 
does not do so. At the same time she suddenly throws up her head and neck until the bill is quite 
perpendicular, and at the same time she makes a loud call, quite unpronounceable, and quite distinct from 
that uttered by the male. She also kicks with both of her feet, but does not kick the water so high as the 
male. I have seen the old female I have here courting every evening, and have noticed that the kick 
is done with both feet, one after the other, in quick succession. The Golden-Eyes that I have here are 
two adult males and two adult females, and one immature female. The adults are paired, and the 
immature female never loses an opportunity of worrying the old ducks. It is usually after the young bird 
has chased her elders that I see what I have described. The drake approaches his duck and does 
his full show and kick, and the duck seems to follow in imitation. I have, however, several times seen 
the old duck show when she has not been pursued by the young bird. The noise she makes is beyond 
my powers of description. It is very loud and harsh." 
Another curious thing the male Golden-Eye does, after pairing with the female, is to 
make a mad rush along the surface of the water for 15 or 20 yards. Whilst doing this 
he adopts the somewhat remarkable attitude I have endeavoured to represent in the lower 
figure of the courtship sketches. The breast is held high out of the water, and head 
depressed backward with bill up in the air. He makes the water fly in all directions, 
and not infrequently makes his rush at any other duck that may happen to be near. Alto- 
gether the courtship of the Golden-Eye is a very striking one, and the idea of casting into 
the air a spray of water, often lit by iridescent colours, is a beautiful one ; but the 
more we study this interesting subject of love amongst the birds, the more we are 
struck by the fact that they have a very distinct notion of beauty in its highest sense. In 
nearly every case where the males are of remarkable beauty the spring display is a notable 
one, and each part of the plumage is shown to the female with the evident intention of 
appealing to her sense of beauty. The Birds of Paradise, the Pheasants, Peacocks, Ruffs, 
&c., all birds of remarkable adornments, make gorgeous revelations of their personal 
beauty, and do not omit the exhibition of any part that is attractive ; and so through all 
the genera of birds, even down to those possessing small personal attractions, which call 
in other forms of nature to help them, such as the building of courting arbours decked 
every morning with flowers, and the presentation of flowers and shells, &c., to their 
inamorata. One of the most touching examples of love I have ever seen was one day at 
the Zoo, when I saw a male Satin-Bower bird pick the only daisy in his pen in the 
western aviary and hold it for twenty minutes (by my watch) in the face of the female, 
who also remained quite stationary, and fully appreciated his proffered gift. 
On reaching the breeding grounds Golden-Eyes pair at once, or arrive in pairs, and 
soon become very tame. Any hole not too large in the exit, of varying height, seems to 
suit them for a nesting-site, and in their northern homes it is usually situated in an old 
fir. In north-eastern Scandinavia they make general use of the nesting-boxes put up for 
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