AMONG THE WaTER FowL 
had gone but a few steps when another. Teal flushed 
at close quarters, and I soon found the nest, similar 
to the last; with a‘set-of nine eggs. Inj) the fsame 
way we found three more Teals’ nest in this tract, 
five imal: 
The first day 
of, June, ealse 
found my first 
Mallards’ nests. 
One was on a lit- 
tle hummock, in 
al tussock ot 
erass, a little 
way out in the 
‘THIS FIRST DAY OF JUNE I ALSO FOUND MY 
FIRST MALLARDS’ NESTS” water where the 
lake shore was marshy, the big bird springing 
forth with a bound into the air when I was per- 
haps fifteen yards away. The nest was quite sub- 
stantial and well lined, and held ten yellowish drab 
eggs, slightly tinged with green. The other nest 
was on an island in front of our camp, placed in 
a thicket of trees and bushes. The first time the 
Duck flushed I could hardly get a glimpse of her, 
so I came again later in the day, and, approaching 
carefully, easily identified the nine eggs, that, like 
the others, were quite fresh. 
A few days later we drove on, still eastward, 
over a most desolate, mainly uninhabited prairie, 
to’ Rush’ Lake)--which’ I have- already -desermsedk 
On one part of its shore a fire had burned over a 
large tract of grass and rushes, and I saw quite a 
number of nests of scorched Ducks’ eggs exposed 
to view. I shall remember this great prairie lake 
182 
