100 Bird-Nesting 



Rockies, its eggs are seldom obtained in this region. Most of 

 the eggs of this species in collections are from Iceland where 

 this bird is common, and on an average I receive one hundred 

 eggs with nests of down every year from that country. The 

 nests are usually built in hollow trees or decayed tree stumps, 

 here the eggs are laid in a bed of greyish white down. Fre- 

 quently two females lay their eggs in one nest on account of 

 the scarcity of hollow trees and convenient nesting-places, and 

 when this happens, as many as twenty-four eggs are found in 

 one nest. I have sets of nineteen, twenty, twenty -three and 

 twenty -four, in each of these cases two females laid their eggs 

 together in the same nest. The number of eggs laid by one 

 female is generally from ten to fourteen. The eggs can easily 

 be distinguished from those of the common golden eye Ijy their 

 larger size and paler pea-green colour. They average in size 

 2.38x1.72. 



The harlequin duck is another species whose eggs are sel- 

 dom collected on this continent, although it is a summer resi- 

 dent on many of the mountain lakes of the Rockies, chiefly 

 north of the United States boundary. Dr. Coues found broods 

 of young ones in August 1874, swimming in the streams which 

 empty into Chief Mountain Lake in Montana. The harlequin 

 duck is known to breed in Alaska, and amongst the numerous 

 lakes stretching between Alaska and Hudson's Bay. Audubon 

 found it breeding in Labrador, and it also nests in Newfound- 

 land. In Europe it is common in Iceland, as I can testify by 

 the number of clutches and nests I receive from there annually. 

 The eggs are easily distinguished from those of the European 

 widgeon by their larger size, broader shape, and deep yellow- 

 ish buff" colour. Three ordinary sized .specimens measure 

 2.28x1.72, 2.30x1.67, and 2.25x1.70, respectively. Prof. Ridg- 

 way, in his manual, describes the eggs of this species as being 

 buffy-White or pale buff, and adds, identification doubtful. 

 None of my eggs from Iceland can be called pale buff. This 

 description may be applied to the eggs of the widgeon, but 

 not to the harlequin. The eggs of the latter are deep rich 

 bufl", some having a yellowish tinge, others are pale bufl}' cin- 



