24 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSliUM. 



while he made the dangerous chmb by nailing on cleats and he had 

 to cut through from the ui)per side to pull her off the eggs. 



Mr. J. Hooper Bowles has sent me the following interesting notes 

 on his experience in inducing hooded )nergansers to nest in boxes, 

 near Tacoma, Washington : 



I have never found a naturally located occupied nest of the hooded merganser, 

 my rather limited experience beinw confined to nesting boxes that I put up for them. 

 This was done through the kindness of Dr. G. D. Shaver, of Tacoma, Washington, 

 who very kindly gave me entire use of his country estate near that citj'. The local- 

 ity selected is a lake about half a mile in diameter, entirely surrounded by dense 

 fir and deciduous woods, with a stream running in at one end and out again at the 

 opposite end. At the head of the lake tlie stream runs through a large and heavily 

 wooded swamp, in which I put up two of my boxes. A third was put up on a dead 

 tree standing in the middle of the lake, a fourth on a tree at the outlet, a hfth 

 on the side of the lake, and a sixth on a lone, giant fir tree that stands on a bare iitll- 

 side some 300 yards from the water at the end of the lake. All are about 18 feet above 

 the ground, or water, and seemed to cover as well as possible the nesting sites that 

 might be suitable for these birds. Not to take up too much space, I will say that a 

 set of 10 eggs was taken from one of the boxes in the swamp at the head of the lake, 

 a brood being reared in the otiier box there. A set of 11 eggs was taken from the box 

 on the tree in the lake, the bird using the box on the lone fir on the hillside for her 

 second, and this time successful, attempt at rearing a brood for the season. The box on 

 the side of the lake showed no signs of being visited, but down feathers on the entrance 

 of the box at the outlet gave evidence that it had been thoroughly examined, although 

 considered unsuitable for some reason. The birds are so exceedingly shy that I have 

 never been able to see them enter their nests, but when leaving they come out at 

 full flight, which would seem almost an impossibilit}^ under the circumstances. 

 The eggs are just about the size, shape, and color of white billiard balls, and every 

 bit as hard in their composition. 



Mr. Glen Rinker (1890) describes two nests, found near Unionville, 

 Missouri, as follows: 



Un tlie day mentioned 1 was sitting by the side of the lake watching a pair of 

 females, when one of them raised and flew within 20 feet of my head. I was "all 

 eyes" when she alighted on a snag about 50 yards back from me. and I noticed it 

 looked down the hollow several times. I attempted to get closer, but she saw me 

 and flew away. I then proceeded to examine the snag. It was about 2 feet in diam- 

 eter and 10 feet high; the top was hollowed out to a deptli of about 2 feet, and 

 looked cliaiTed as though it had been burned. The nest was composed of leaves and 

 S'jme grass and a little moss, and had a complete lining of down. Tlie eggs, six in 

 number, were white, and were more round than most duck eggs. 



June l;'. 1899, found me near tlie lake again, but farther off in a thicket, watching 

 a cardinal whose nest I knew was near. To my left was a tall bank where a lot of 

 trees had fallen and which was overgrown with hazel busiies. I heard a whistle of 

 wings, and looked up just in time to see a merganser settle down near on old stump. 

 I waited about 5 or 10 minutes, and tlien walked quietly up to where I saw her light. 

 When ab(jut o foot from the place, she jumped up with a qiiack, and started for the 

 lake. 



Now, I have several keys and other books, and they all say the hooded merganser 

 nests in hollow trees and stumps, but this nest was on the ground under llie roots of 

 tlie stump, in a sort of a cave that was abotit 11 inches back under the stump. The 

 nest was composed of about the aime material as the other, but did not Inweas much 



