92 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



in color, with whitish centers and conspicuous whitish tips. ITie 

 breast feathers in the nest are either pure white or with pale brown- 

 ish or grayish centers. 



Eggs. — From the writings of others I infer that the baldpate lays 

 from 6 to 12 eggs, but, from my own experience, I should say that 

 the usual full set consisted of from 9 to 11 eggs. The eggs are 

 absolutely indistinguishable, with any degree of certainty, from those 

 of the European widgeon or the gadwall, though, as a rule, the bald- 

 pate's eggs are slightly more elongated and of a purer, deeper cream 

 color than those of the gadwall. They are creamy white in color, 

 varying from deep cream to nearly white and are nearly elliptical 

 ovate in shape. The shell is clear, smooth, rather thin and some- 

 what glossy, resembling in color and texture certain types of hen's 



eggs. 



The measurements of 81 eggs in the United States National 

 Museum and the author's collections average 53.9 by 38.3 millimeters; 

 the eggs showing the four extremes measure 60 by 40, 58.2 by 40.2, 

 50.5 by 38 and 54 by 36 millimeters. 



Young. — I can not find any definite data as to the period of incu- 

 bation, but the European bird is said to incubate for 24 or 25 days, 

 and our bird probably sits for the same period. This duty is per- 

 formed by the female exclusively, though the male does not wholly 

 desert her until the molting season arrives. The care of the young 

 also rests with the female, and she guards them with jealous devo- 

 tion. Nelson (1887) relates the following incident: 



I once came suddenly upon a female widgeon, with her brood of 10 or a dozen 

 little ducklings, in a small pond. As I approached the parent uttered several low, 

 guttural notes and suddenly fluttered across the water and fell heavily at my feet, 

 80 close that I could almost touch her with my gun. Meanwhile the young swam to 

 the opposite side of the pond and began to scramble out into the grass. Willing to 

 observe the old bird's maneuvers, I continued to poke at her with the gun as she 

 fluttered about my feet, but she always managed to elude my strokes until, just as 

 the last of her brood climbed out of the water, she slyly edged away, and suddenly 

 flew off to another pond some distance. I then ran as quickly as possible to the 

 point where the ducks left the water, yet, though but a few moments had elapsed, 

 the young had concealed themselves so thoroughly that, in spite of the fact that the 

 grass was only 3 or 4 inches high and rather sparse, I spent half an hour in fruitless 

 search. 



By the last of August or the firet of September the young are able 

 to fly and are flocking with their parents for the autumnal flight. 

 Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1884) quote Kennicott as saying: 



The young, while unable to fly, are frequently found seeking the shelter of grassy 

 lakes. As soon, however, as they!^can fly they return to their favorite river shores 

 and open feeding "places, where they obtain^ aquatic insects, a few small shells, and 

 the seeds and roots of various plants. In the fall _the broods often separate before 

 leaving for the South; this they do about the middle of September. 



