130 BULLETIN 126, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Colombia (Bogota and Santa Marta). These latter records may 

 have been stragglers from North America. 



Spring migration. — Earlj'- dates of arrival: Nevada, Ash Meadows, 

 March 18; Idaho, Grangeville, April 11; British Columbia, Chilli- 

 wack, April 22; Colorado, Beloit, March 23, Loveland, April 13, and 

 Lay, April 20; Missouri, Lake City, April 15; Nebraska, Omaha, 

 April 10; Wyoming, Lake Como, May 5. Late date of departure: 

 Lower California, Colnett, April 8. 



Fall mi^rra^ion..— Withdrawal from the northern portions of the 

 breeding range begins in September and is completed by the middle 

 of October. A late northern record is. North Dakota, Mandan, 

 October 10. 



Casual records. — Has wandered on migrations as far east as 

 Alberta (Edmonton, May 12, 1917), Manitoba (Oak Lake), Wisconsin 

 (Lake Koshkonong, October 18, 1879, and October 9, 1891), Ohio 

 (Licking County Reservoir, April 4, 1895), New York (Seneca Lake, 

 about April 15, 1886), South Carolina (a somewhat doubtful record), 

 Florida (Lake lamonia and Key West), and Louisiana (Lake Pont- 

 chartrain). 



Egg dates. — California: Thirty-seven records, April 18 to July 14; 

 nineteen records. May 14 to June 17. Colorado and Utah: Forty- 

 two records. May 3 to July 8; twenty-one records. May 15 to June 

 3. Oregon and Washington: Thirteen records. May 8 to June 13; 

 seven records. May 26 to June 2. 



CASARCA FERRUGINEA (Pallas). 



BUDDY SHELDRAKE. 



HABITS. 



The fact that this Old World species has been taken several times 

 as a straggler in Greenland constitutes its slim claim to be included 

 in the list of North American birds. Its center of abundance seems 

 to be in eastern Europe and Asia. 



Nesting. — Yarrell (1871) says of its breeding habits: 



The ruddy sheld duck makes its nest in a hole; sometimes in the middle of a 

 cornfield or in a marmot's burrow on the plains; at others, in clefts of precipitous 

 rocks, as in Algeria and in Palestine, where Canon Tristram, found nests amongst 

 those of griffon vultures, etc. In southern Russia hollow trees are said to be selected, 

 the male bird keeping watch on a branch while the female is sitting; felled hollow 

 logs and deserted nests of birds of prey are also utilized; and, according to Colonel 

 Prjevalsky, the female sometimes lays her eggs in the fireplaces of villages abandoned 

 by the Mongols, becoming almost black with soot while sitting. 



Eggs. — The ruddy sheldrake is said to lay from 8 to 16 eggs, but 

 probably the smaller numbers are commoner. The color is described 

 as white, creamy white or tinged with yellowish. A set of eight eggs 

 in my collection is nearly pure white in color; they vary in shape 



