Lakes of the Woods 249. Yellowstone June 14, 1932 back of the female's head as other birds are wont to do but we could not be sure. The call notes were low and ringing, a much more musical note than the blaring staccato note of the frightened bird. From the first showing gesture until the completion of the mating was perhaps less than 5 minutes. The birds were executing beautiful and graceful in all their actions. After mating, the female stood on the shore several minutes preening. Then both birds fed until 12:45. At this time they sighted us in the forest, and began to call sharply. They had wandered within 60 feet of us before they saw us. Instead of flying away as they usually do they swam back & forth in front of us 4 times very slowly, calling sharply the entire time. Their calls were quite regular but one often called just a fraction of a second after the other, as in synchronized time. This curious investigation continued until 2:45 P.M. Some of the time one stood on the bank about 50 yards from us & watched while the other fed.