Nesting and other Hahils of the Cape Widgeon. 17 



the etrgs and makes a thick pad of it, thus leaving the eggs 

 protected from cold and rather difficult to find. If the bird 

 is put up off the nest she will leave the eggs uncovered ; but 

 in one instance 1 saw the bird fly round in a circle and 

 returning hover over the nest as if she wanted to secure them 

 before leaving, although I was within 20 yards in a punt at 

 the time. This idea seemed at first sight a little too " intelli- 

 gent/' but the following will show that the above is quite 

 probable. I had noticed a Widgeon several times flying round 

 a certain island and both myself and my companion were sure 

 there was a nest there. We hunted everywhere, but found 

 only one likely egg and that broken open and quite fresh. 

 Days later I stumbled on the nest containing nine Widgeon's 

 eggs and one old Berg Gans egg (Chenalopex (egypiiacus) 

 under a very thick bush. I was watching a nest at the time 

 belonging to some Gull and used to come and have a look at 

 it every now and then. Each time I landed on the island the 

 Widgeon left her nest a few minutes after my arrival and 

 on each occasion the eggs were covered over carefully. 

 Eventually I was watching her on her nest and was within 

 10 feet of her. She was asleep or dozing and did not mind 

 me at all. I opened my camera to take a photograph of her. 

 This startled her and she left the nest. The eggs were un- 

 c vered, the ring of down being all round them. This nest 

 was on the site of an old Goose nest. The eggs were resting 

 on the down and feathers which had evidently been the old 

 Goose nest, hence the old Goose egg which was included in 

 her sitting. 



The cock bird does not, 1 think, take any part in incubation. 

 The hens' breasts are picked quite bare of down, but the 

 contour-feathers are not picked out. The cock birds' breasts 

 show no sign of this. One meets cock birds scattered about 

 on the dam and sometimes one can get near enough to shoot 

 one. I have never found a hen alone. Before I realized they 

 were breeding I shot several birds and I noticed they were 

 in breeding condition and also the hens' breasts were hare of 

 down. These birds are sometimes very shy ; at other timc-s, 

 particularly at dusk, they are quite tame. In the evening 



VOL. IV. 2 



