Jan.,l<ni 
C(^URTS1IIP OF Till-: AAIKKICAX OOLDEX-EVK 
27 
tended neck flat on the surface, and with its body so deeply immersed that from 
bill to tail it showed no part much higher than the rest, looking, indeed, like a 
stick or reed-stem partl}^ submerged. I have freqently seen a wounded black Duck 
or Blue-winged Teal do nearly if not exactly the same thing when trying to escape 
observation. The Golden-eyes maintained this po.sture anywhere from one or two 
to eight or ten seconds at a time. 
Forxi.'ard thrust o f head and neck oniinfi' in the bowsprit posture. The 
drakes assumed this attitude by suddenl}^ thrusting their heads and necks forward 
and upward from the normal position (this was evidently the usual way) or by 
raising them more slowly from the crouching or the wounded-duck posture. I 
saw them take it a dozen times or more. On each occasion the bird remained 
absolutely motionless for several seconds wuth its neck elongated to the utmost and 
held perfectly straight and rigid at an angle with the water of about 45°, suggest- 
ing the bowsprit of a vessel of ancient type. Although this pose is apparently 
taken less frequently than some of the others, it appears to be not less deliberate 
and pronounced than the rest and equally expressive of emotions due primarily to 
sexual excitement. During its continuance the feathers of the head were some- 
times fluffed out, but oftener pressed down so very flat that the head looked scarce 
thicker than the neck which, because of its unusual elongation, appeared abnor- 
mally slender. The bill was only slightly opened. As a rule the bird kept silent 
when in this position, but twice 1 as well as heard, it bleat. In one of these 
instances it kicked up water just as it uttered the paaap] in the other this action 
was omitted. When the head w'as raised to the bow-sprit posture from the crouch- 
ing or the wounded-duck pose the movement was not especially rapid; but when it 
was thrust directly forward and upward from the normal position the action w-as so 
swift and abrupt that my eye could scarce follow it. Although I witnessed the 
bowsprit posture a number of times it was assumed le.ss often than either of the two 
fixed positions which I am about to describe. 
Ifp-ward thrust of head and neck ending in the /uast-head posture. 
Ordinarilv this movement was complete in itself and made directly from — as 
well as back to — the normal position. Occasionally, however, it closely preceded 
or immediately followed a still longer backward swing — yet to be described. In 
the pose to which it commoidy led — i. e., the mast-head pose — the Whistler’s neck 
might be elongated and straightened, as in the bozc-sprit posture, and held stiffly 
erect, or it might be so shortened and curved that the occiput almost touched the 
back between the shoulders. In either case the bill was invariably well opened 
and pointed skyward for several seconds during which the head and neck were 
kept perfectly rigid. At the close of this brief period of inaction the bird fre- 
quently uttered its paaap and kicked up spray, but oftener than not I heard no sound 
and saw no water fly. 
Bark thrust of head and neck ending in the folded duek-skiu posture. Some- 
times made from the mast-head posture but far oftener directly from the normal 
position, by a single uninterrupted upward and backward swing of the head and 
neck; this movement was so swift and sudden that I often failed to follow it even 
when watching for it with my attention concentrated on a bird which I felt confi- 
dent was about to make it. At its termination the neck lay extended along the 
back and so very flat and close that it was scarce noticeable. The head showed 
conspicuously enough, resting apparently on the occiput at a point anywhere be- 
tween the middle of the back and the rump, with the widely-parted mandibles 
pointing straight upward. When in this posture the bird bore a ludicrously close 
resemblance to a duck skin prepared after the style so much in vogue thirty or 
