DUCKS AND GEESE 115 



had yet seen. The favourite resort of these pretty birds 

 was the grassy margin of the stream before mentioned, 

 where they fed on the edge of the water and on the 

 shoals of driftwood which Hned it in many places. We 

 also came upon them in the marshy ground round some 

 of the forest tarns. They were extremely tame. Like 

 the wood-sandpiper, they would allow us to come and 

 talk within a few yards of them, letting us take up a 

 position where, by a little patience, a double shot could 

 be obtained. We thoroughly identified the ruff on the 

 marsh, although we failed to obtain a specimen of it. 



We saw a bean-goose, which had been shot a day or 

 two before our arrival. We also saw a pair of swans, 

 and identified the skin and head of one shot by a sailor a 

 week or two before our arrival as belonging to the common 

 wild species, Cygmts miisiczis. 



Wigeons were by no means uncommon on the lake, 

 the larger forest tarns, and the open water in the marshes 

 We shot a female off the nest, and took from it five eggs 

 and the down : it was built under a couple of fallen trees 

 crossing each other. The nest had been used the previous 

 year, as old egg-shells were under the down. Several 

 other specimens of this bird were brought to us. 



The pintail was the commonest duck about Habariki. 

 We shot a female from the nest, taking nine eggs and the 

 down. This nest also was under a prostrate tree, and 

 not far from the wigeon's. We had one nest of teal 

 with down brought us, together with a male bird. They 

 were not rare. The golden-eye was a common duck, 

 generally seen in pairs on the open water in the marshes 

 and larger forest tarns. We shot a female, and took 

 a perfect ^'g'g from her. A nest in the hollow stump 

 of a tree some twenty feet from the ground was shown 

 to us, and we were told that these birds bred there 



