602 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIL 



however, on ' a pond over-grown with reeds, flags, and other aquatic 

 plants, close to the Mansfelder Salt Lake,' tells us that they are * always 

 placed in the rushes or flags, usually in a small island in the pond or 

 on the flags ; and, like all ducks' nests, they have a foundation of rotten 

 stems, plucked rushes or dead leaves, on which a warm bed of down, 

 plucked from the breast of the female, is placed. When the female 

 leaves the nest quietly, she covers her eggs, as do all ducks. The eggs 

 vary from eight to nine, ten being the exception, and seven only in 

 late sittings.' Alibis nests were taken between the 12th June and 

 1st July, the later nests being much incubated, so that in this locality 

 they probably lay from 1st May to the 15th June. The eggs are only 

 moderately broad ovals, without gloss, a bright, somewhat olive- 

 green when fre^h and unblown (fading to a dull greyish -olive or 

 greenish-grey when blown), and measure about 2*3 by 1*6." 



Salvin writes : — " In the open pools at the upper end of the marsh 

 at Zana, I used to see several pair of the red-crested duck. Two nests 

 only were obtained. The second lot, consisting of seven eggs, were of 

 a brilliant fresh green colour when unblown ; the contents were no 

 sooner expelled and the eggs dry, than the delicate tints were gone 

 and their beauty sadly diminished." 



The nf^st is a large, coarsely-made structure which seems to be made 

 almost iovariably of practically nothing but rushes and soft water- 

 plants. Twigs, dry grass and other materials got from land are but 

 little used, and it is probable that much of what is used is subaquatic 

 stuff and is got by diving. The lining of down and feathers is usually 

 very dense and thick, completely covering the eggs. 



As a rule, the duck selects as a site for her nest some small pond well 

 covered with weeds and vegetation, or some patch of water in fen or 

 marsh land, well isolated and free from observation and interference. I 

 Lave come across no notes on their nidification to show that they ever 

 breed on the edges of larger or more open pieces of water, and these 

 they seem, as a rule, to avoid during the breeding season, unless, perhaps, 

 for purposes of feeding. Wide marshes and fens, with pools scattered 

 here and there in amongst the bog and scrub-covered land, would 

 appear to be their favourite resorts. 



When fresh, the eggs are a beautiful clear green stone-colour, and 

 have a decided gloss, but lose both their bright tints and gloss soon after 



