IJFE HISTORIES OK NORTH A.MKRICAX WILD ToWL. Oo 



Mr. Jiobcrt T. Moore (1908) found n nest ol" this species in New 

 Jersey on May 22, 190S, in a wooded point surrounded by meadoMs: 

 he describes it very attractively, as folhnvs: 



The body of tlie nest filled the spac«^ between the root8 of a laiye ina}>le. Dark- 

 green lichens spotted the tree lormin<r a beautiful backc^round, while liy:ht green Avas 

 the color of the hucklebeiTy bushes branching above and grouping on the left. The 

 front and right were screened by a bunch of soft brown grasses, whicli converged above 

 with the huckleberry bushes and made it impossible to thrust in a hand without 

 breaking the grasses. The nest proper concaved about a depression 8 inches in di- 

 ameter. It was filled with pine spills, bracken, and leaves of oak and maple, no down 

 having yet been inserted. The eggs were packed closely, the leaves sticking uj) be- 

 tween them. In color the>' were cream buff, some of them having a slight greenish 

 tinge. The whole interior of the nest was soft brown, leaves, spills, and eggs lending 

 various sliades, but all Tuolding into each other. These browns harmonized with the 

 greens above, and made a most attractive home. Four days later the nest contained 

 12 eggs, so full as to have the appearance of convexity. Three eggs had been laid in 

 four days. Down was now present, having been inserted in little bunches over the 

 inside of the nest, adding a touch of warmth. 



Tlie black duck has been known to nest in old deserted crow's and 

 liawk's nests in trees. Mr. Edwin Beaupre (1906) records two such 

 cases in Ontario, as foUows: 



The first instance occurred June 10, 1904, when, on a small island in the St. Lawrence 

 River, a pair of these ducks had taken possession of an old crow's nest, and on the 

 date of discovery had laid 10 eggs. The nest was saddled on a limb of a large elm 45 

 feet from the ground. With the exception of a liberal supply of down furnished by 

 the bird the nest was in its original condition and so completely was it concealed by 

 the foliage t hat the presence of the duck in her snug retreat would never have been 

 suspected had she not been accidently observed flying to the tree. The difficulty I 

 experienced in photographing the nest adds to the value of the excellent negative 

 I secured. 



April 29, 1905, I located the second nest; in this case, owing to rhe bareness of the 

 trees, concealment was impossible. The duck had laid 10 eggs in a last year's nest of 

 the red-shouldered hawk in a basswood tree 50 feet up, and the appearance of this 

 large bird sitting on her nest among the naked branches was truly most unique. 



The down in the bhxck duck's nest much n^semblcs that in the 

 mallard's; it is Uiv^e and fluffy in form, and " bister" or "oUve 

 brown" in color, with whitish centers, which are not so conspicuous 

 as in the nest of the mallard. Mixed with tlie down n few character- 

 istic breast or fhink feathers are usually to be found: these dusky 

 feathers with a centrnl bufify streak or buffy edgings will serve to 

 identify the nest. 



Eggs. — The black duck lays fi'om (1 to 12 eggs in a set, usually N or 

 10; it has been said to lay as many as 15, but anything beyond 12 is 

 unusual. The eggs closely resemble those of the mallard and can not 

 with certainty be distinguished. Tn sliai)e the}' vary from elliptical 

 ovate to nearly oval. The shell is smooth, but has very little luster. 

 The color varies from dull white or creamy white to various pale 

 greenish buffy shades, such as ''})ale olive buff" or "Marguerite 



