146 Bird-Nesting 



of these birds crossing the Atlantic before a stiff westerly 

 breeze. Many alighted on the rigging, and ten or twelve 

 were secured. " 



I now struck out across the prairie, and examined a slough 

 fringed with rushes, and found a nest of the short-billed 

 marsh wren, containing five eggs. The nest was like that of 

 the long-billed marsh wren, which were also numerous. The 

 eggs of the short-billed species are glossy white. Soon after- 

 wards I found a nest containing seven chocolate-coloured eggs 

 of the long-billed marsh wren. There were several empty 

 nests around, and it is well known that the male marsh wren 

 continues building a number of nests, while the females are 

 incubating the eggs. The number of nests frequently observed 

 in a small piece of marsh, within a few yards of each other, is 

 astonishing, and apparently out of all proportion to the size of 

 the colony inhabiting the patch of reeds. Several kildeers 

 were observed near the slough, but I could not find their nests, 

 although I lay down and concealed myself, in hopes that they 

 would return, so that I could startle them oil' their nests. 



A ruddy duck had a brood of seven young ones, which she 

 led away to the far side of the slough. A clutch of six eggs 

 of this bird before me are creamy buff, with a finely granu- 

 lated surface. They are large for the size of the bird, averag- 

 ing 2.50x1.75. This set was taken in South Dakota, June 

 l-ith, 1H91. The nest was like that of a coot, a large structure 

 of floating rushes anchored to growing rushes. As it was 

 after five o'clock, I turned back, crossing the prairie towards 

 Virden. I flushed a prairie horned lark ofl' its nest and four 

 eggs, and not many yards from this nest I also startled a 

 chestnut-collared longspur ; the bird flew up, and, searching 

 the spot, I soon found its nest containing five eggs. They are 

 greyish white, spotted with dark purple brown, and blotched 

 with neutral tint. I had now more eggs than my box would 

 hold, so I wrapped some of them up in my handkerchief and 

 carried them in this way. After half an hour's walk across 

 the prairie, the houses of Virden began to appear, and in pass- 

 ing some bushes near the village I discovered a nest and four 



