THE OSPREY. 



131 



this time the nest contained three half grown young, 

 and the old birds were very angry at his intrusion. 



The nest pictured in our frontispiece was placed on 

 the edge of a steep bank, on the point of a small island 

 in Penobscot Bay, Maine. When found, June ig, 

 i8g6, it contained two eggs which measured 2.55x1.68 

 and 2.49x1.69. One egg was sterile, and the other 

 contained a well-formed embryo. The nest was com- 

 posed of huge sticks, brush, roots and other rubbish, 

 lined with dry grass and a few feathers. Its measure- 

 ments were : circumference at middle, 20 feet ; out- 

 side diameter, 70 inches ; depth outside, 3 feet ; cavity 



for eggs, depth, 3 inches. This is one of six nests 

 observed the same week, all on the ground in similar 

 situations ; while, during the same time, fully thirty 

 nests were observed in trees at various heights. This 

 was the only nest containing eggs, the others having 

 young birds. 



Late in summer the birds are sometimes seen re- 

 pairing their nests after the young have left them. 

 Probably the object of these repairs is to better fit 

 the nests to resist the storms of the winter, and to be 

 in good condition for occupancy the coming spring. 



THE AMERICAN OSPREY IN LOWER CALIFORNIA. 



HORACE A. GAVLORD, PASADENA, CAL. 



WE were reminded of The Osprey at almost On Cerros Island in the afternoon of August 4, I 



every anchorage on our entire Lower Cali- took a snap shot of two Ospreys' nests almost on the 



fornia trip. The American Osprey was same rock. From the point where I stood to take 



found at all the islands and anchorages visited except this photograph I counted thirteen well-used nests, 



Guadalupe Island. Its nests were found in abund- within the radius of perhaps a quarter of a mile, be- 



ance on Les Benito and Cerros Islands ; although at sides many deserted ones. Some were immense 



the other places they were by no means rare. structures and yet the birds keep adding material 



At such a late date we could hardly expect to find probably throughout the year. The size of the nest 



any of the nests occupied ; yet on Natividad Island, depends, I think, more on age than on individual taste, 



latitude 27= 50' north longitude 115- 10' west, August ^^^ ^^^^ ^^.^ ^^ ^.^^^ undoubtedly use the same 



nest year after year, and protects it through all sea- 

 sons. Most of the nests were built in situations 

 similar to the one photographed ; some hardly two 



3, 1896, Mr. Anthony found a young bird still unable 

 to leave the nest. Early on the morning of August 4, 

 however, it was out of the nest making its vain at- 



tempts to fly. We drove the bird under the lea of a 

 rock where the wind did not ruffle its plumage, and feet above the ground, others on the top of lofty pin- 

 photographed it. It was a brave youngster and would nacles of rock commanding a grand view of the sur- 

 vigorously attack our legs if we ventured too near. rounding country. 



SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE NESTING OF DUCKS. 



EUGENE S. ROLFE, MINNEWAUKAN, N. D. 



IN the Devil's Lake region I have personally taken 

 nests of the following species of Ducks : Mal- 

 lard, Pintail, Shoveller, Blue-winged Teal, Bald- 

 pate, Gadwall, Ruddy, Lesser Scaup, Red-head, 

 Canvas-back and American Golden-eye. I believe 

 that the Greater Scaup and the Ring-necked Duck 

 are rare breeders here ; and feel confident that the 

 same is true of the Green-winged Teal, for I have 

 twice noted its presence here in mid-summer, and 

 in August, 1895, shot a handsome male. I am in- 

 formed, also, that no less than three nests of the 

 White-winged Scoter have been taken in the vicinity 

 of the Lake, but of this I know nothing personally. 



Altogether this might be considered fairly good 

 Duck ground and certainly it has afibrded me some 

 finds that give much pleasure in the recalling. 



Some two miles out is a small strip of territory that 

 is used extensively by the Ducks as a nesting locality. 

 This is a trifling coulee about a half-mile in length 

 with rather ragged banks oflering a foothold here 

 and there to a small patch of brush and widening 



out at one point into a considerable pond fringed 

 with rushes, flags, slough grass, and wild rice. 



On June 30, 1895, just about dusk, I flushed from 

 the heavy grass within twenty feet of this pond a 

 short, squatty Duck and, reining my horse sharply 

 to the right, fortunately spared the nest with its eight 

 eggs of a pronounced drab tint, altogether darker 

 than is usual with eggs of most species of Duck. 

 The unfamiliar appearance of the Duck and the 

 dim light made identification uncertain, and follow- 

 ing my unvarying rule in such cases, I left the set 

 unmolested and proceeded on my way. I had planned 

 other things for the day following, but an ungovern- 

 able longing to solve the mystery of that heavily 

 colored set had prevailed before I slept that night 

 and next morning I was away to the spot. Creeping 

 cautiously, with gun cocked, I reached a point within 

 three or four yards of the nest before flushing the 

 female. There was nothing in her appearance or 

 gait as she hastened away on swift wing that surely 

 placed her in my list of familiar acquaintances, and 



