TEIE OREGON NATURALIST 



79 



other, or bottom materials, are a few layers 

 of dry grass, but many nests were found 

 composed of nothing whatever but down. 

 The first egg is laid about the first of June 

 and a set contains eight or ten greenish 

 colored eggs that greatly resemble common 

 tame duck eggs. The males show no 

 interest in either nest-building or incur 

 bation, but it is said that they help to care 

 for the young when hatched. 



During the period of incubation when- 

 ever the female leaves the nest to feed, 

 she carefully pulls the down over the eggs 

 in such a manner as to entirely cover them 

 with a thick coating and this seems to 

 keep them warm. 



If the first nest is taken they at once 

 make another, and it is stated that to 

 supply the down for the second nest, the 

 female strips it off the male. The writer's 

 experience, has unfortunately, done much 

 to shake his belief in this little romance, 

 for almost all nests found late in the 

 season contained very little or no down; 

 in fact a great many were nothing but 

 forms scraped in the sandy soil. 

 Somateria apectabilis 

 KING EIDER. 



King Eider are tolerably common during 

 the winter months, sometimes gathering 

 in flocks of fifty or sixty individuals 

 associating with Steller's Duck and Old 

 Squaw. 



They arrive at the island in November 

 coming from the North and leave again in 

 the following April. The native name of 

 this duck is "Skatch" while the Pacific 

 Eider is known as "Pistreek". 

 Oidemia ameiicana 

 AMERICAN SCOTER. 



Common from November until the 

 following May: gathering in large flocks 

 and feeding on mollusks and Crustacea, 

 Oidemia deglandi 

 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER. 



Habits same as last named species. 

 Neither of these species were s^en during 



the summer months and they were not 

 known to breed in the island as far as the 

 writer could ascertain. 



Branta canadensis 

 CANADA GOOSE. 

 These geese pass over the island on the 

 way to their breeding grounds in Cook's 

 Inlet, about the middle of April, but seldom 

 even stop to rest except on the south and 

 where they are said to be numerous in the 

 fall migration. As far as known they do 

 not breed on the island. 



Branta nigricans 

 BLACK BRANT. 

 Passes about the same time as the last 

 species, but a few remain to breed. 

 Ardea herodias 

 GREAT BLUE HERON. 

 This is a rare bird on the island and old 

 residents assured the writer that it was 

 not known there, yet on August i6, 1891 

 the writer saw one, and on March i, 1894 

 a young female was obtained. Why this 

 bird should not breed on the island is 

 inexplicable, for the island abounds in 

 shallow lakes teeming with fish and on 

 the northern end are plenty of large firs 

 suitable for nesting. Still there can be no 

 question hut that this species occur on 

 the island as stragglers only. 



BERNARD J. BRETHERTON 

 (To be continued.) 



MORE PHEASANTS FROM JAPAN. 



May 30, 1896— Frank S. Ailing received 

 three coops of golden pheasants on the 

 Victoria. They came in care of Capt. 

 John Panton, R. N. R. The birds are 

 pretty well used up by their long voyage. 

 Mr. Ailing will place them in his chicken 

 hospital and after a couple of months, 

 when they are recruited will turn them 

 loose on Fox island. Mr, Ailing reports 

 that the pheasants he has previously 

 placed on the island are doing well and 

 breeding rapidly.— /^'"'""" Ledger. 



