THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
tlic Musk-Duck l)6ga»ii to take an active part j for, strange to say, every 
time the Hawk made a swoop down upon the Coot the old Duck gave forth 
a deep sound and splashed up the water behind him, and the time was so 
well judged that the Hawk received the full force of the water. Three 
desperate efforts were made, but after the third dousing the Hawk took 
himself off in disgust, but the old Musk-Duck floated on in his majestic 
style as if nothing had occurred or he had not saved the life of a wounded 
friend.” 
Mr. A. G. Campbell confirms Capt. White’s account of their (probably) 
nuptial display thus : “ The male bird is very fond of showing off while on 
its inland nesting haunts. With head thrown back, pouch inflated and tail 
spread out over its back it spins around in the water, looking more like 
a huge shuttlecock than a duck. It varies the performance by scooping 
quantities of water into the air with its feet. The splash it makes would do 
credit to a much larger bird.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor states : “ These birds will not live in captivity as they 
require a wide scope of water in which to procure their food : they are expert 
divers, and resemble the cormorant in their dexterity in the water in which 
they practically live. It is simply surprising to watch them dive and the 
distance they will swim underneath the water before making their appearance 
again on the surface, and then only a head and neck, if they are pursued, and 
down again if danger is still near. The drake gives off a peculiar musky 
odour while sporting in the water and I have frequently become aware of the 
presence of the birds by the smeU of this odour alone. They are a cumber- 
some or coarse-fleshed bird, and seldom or never take to the wing, depending 
solely to their diving and swimming powers to save them from being captured 
or kflled. They are hard to kill, as they are under the water before the shot 
from the gun reaches them. I have seen them plentifully dispersed over the 
Lakes Alexandrina and Albert, also up the River Murray : they also take to 
the sea and sport in the bays and inlets where the water is comparatively 
quiet. When disturbed they flap along the top of the water with remarkable 
rapidity, going sometimes quite a quarter of a mile or more before settling 
down again : they go along in this way by means of their legs and wings and 
seem to simply walk on the water.” 
In the E7nu, Vol. II., p. 210, 1903, A. G. Campbell notes at King Island : 
“When swimming fast to get away from an intruder, like a ship at high 
speed, this bird sinks deeply into the water, only the head and neck being 
visible.” 
Mr. A. J. Campbell instigated a discussion as to the question of flight by 
these birds and gives a long account of his results in his Nests and Eggs. 
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