LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 269 



Fall migration. — Early dates of arrival: Pribilof Islands, St. 

 George Island, September 22; Aleutian Islands, August 31; Oregon, 

 Willamette River, September 30; California, San Francisco market, 

 October 8. Latest date for St. Michael is November 15. 



Casual records. — Rare south of Alaska, but frequently wanders 

 south to Washington (Snohomish County, January 1, 1922), Oregon 

 (Netarts Bay, December 31, 1920), and California (10 or more 

 records) . One record for the Hawaiian Islands (Kalapan, December 

 12, 1902), and one doubtful record for the Great Slave Lake region. 



Egg dates. — Alaska: Fifteen records, May 26 to July 4; eight 

 records, June 2 to 20. 



DENDROCYGNA AUTUMNALIS (Linnaeus) 



BLACK-BELLIED TREE DUCK 



HABITS 



As I have never seen eitlier of the tree ducks in life, I shall have 

 to quote wholly from the writings of others: and very little has l)een 

 published about this species, which is to be found in only a very lim- 

 ited area north of the Rio Grande. Writing of its habits near 

 Fort Brown. Texas, Dr. J. C. Merrill (1878) says: 



This large and handsome l)ird arrives from the soiitli in April, and is soon 

 found in abundance on the river banks and lagoons. iVIigrating at night, it 

 continually utters a very peculiar chattering whistle, which at once indicates 

 its presence. Called by the Mexicans patos maizal, or cornfield duck, from its 

 habit of frequenting those localities. It is by no means shy, and large num- 

 bers are offered for sale in the Brownsville marljet. Easily domesticated, it 

 becomes very tame, roosting at night in trees with chickens and turkeys. When 

 the females begin to lay, the males leave them, and gather in large flocks on 

 sandbars in the river. 



Nesting. — Mr. George B. Sennett (1879) writes: 



First noticed early in May, in pairs, at Lomita, looking for nesting places. 

 Soon after it became quite common. During the mating season it is found 

 about in trees of open woodland, and very tame. It nests in hollow trees with- 

 out regard to nearness of water. I was shown the nest from which a set of 

 12 eggs was taken the season before. It was in an ebony tree in an open 

 grove, near the houses of the ranch, and much frequented; was about 9 feet 

 from the ground, in a hollow branch, with no lining but the chips from the 

 rotten wood. 



Four sets of eggs in the United States National Museum, collected 

 near Brownsville, Texas, were taken from nests in holes in elms and 

 willows, 10 or 12 feet from the ground. Another set is said to have 

 been taken from a nest on the ground, among rushes, weeds, and 

 grass, on the edge of 'a lake. The tree nests were mostly in " big 

 woods," usually near a lake or creek, and no lining Avas found in the 

 nests except the rotten wood in the hollows. Doctor Merrill (1878) 



