FULVOUS T BEE -DUCK 



249 



of the ditches, but it was out of the question to reach it. Again on 

 May 26 another was located sitting on the edge of a hok^ high up in a 

 white oak. Lillie's ranch is nine miles from Wildflower, Tulare 

 County, and four or five miles southeast of the lake" {in Shields, 

 1899. p. 11). 



However, the prevalent habit of this bird in California is to nest 

 much as other ducks do, on marsh lands. Shields found a number 

 of nests of the Fulvous Tree-duck in central California during June, 

 1898. He states (1899, pp. 10-11): 



The nests were in main constructed of wire grass and sparsely lined with 

 down and feathers; the eggs were invariably deposited in two layers and are 

 of a pure white color, and as compared with the eggs of other ducks, possess 

 a rather rough shell, sometimes even approaching a chalky appearance and 

 being frequently slightly pyriform in shape. The measurements vary from 

 1.35 X 1.98 to 1.65 x 2.20 inches, the majority of eggs being a mean average 



21573 



Fig. 39. Side of bill of Fulvous Tree-duck. Natural size. 



of these extremes. The eggs partake of the characteristics of both those 

 of the goose and duck. . . . 



Shields also found that this species often laid its eggs in the nests 

 of other ducks, for of six or eight nests of Redhead and Ruddy Duck 

 which he discovered, more than half contained one or more eggs of 

 the Fulvous Tree-duck. 



In all, Shields found about a dozen nests of the Fulvous Tree- 

 duck, all similarly situated and most of them containing from 17 to 

 28, and some even 30, 31 and 32 eggs. The smallest sets found were 

 of 9 and ]1 eggs respectively, both of which were apparently incom- 

 plete. Such large sets are certainly unusual among ducks and as yet 

 have not been satisfactorily explained. Either this particular species 

 possesses a greater fecundity than others, or more than one female lays 

 in the same nest. The latter is the more probable explanation ; for in 

 one case (Dawson, MS) a daily addition of three eggs was noted in 

 a single nest. 



