BIRDS OF NORTH DAKOTA 7 



21 — 131. Hooded Merganser. Lophodjtes cticiillatus. 



Tolerably common. I have seen one flock of young in the Big Coulee, 

 that I believed to have been hatched close by. and if so. the nest must have 

 been on the ground as there was no timber short of the Turtle Mountains, 

 some thirty miles away. Earliest arrival noted April 10, 1894. 



22—132. Mallard. Anas Bosclias. 



Common summer resident, nesting just anywhere. I have one set of eggs 

 taken from a stack of wheat, twelve feet from the ground in spring of 189:^. 

 Notes of first arrivals gives March 16 as earliest date. Full set of eggs' seen 

 May 20. They stay in fall, feeding on fields until all Vater holes are frozen. 

 I have a record of one seen flying over town in January during a warm spell 

 of weather. 



23—133. Black Duck. Anas obscura. 



Have two somewhat questionable records of their being seen here. Alf 

 Eastgate of Stump Lake and Ex-State Auditor H. U Holmes of Bathgate, have 

 each a mounted specimen. 



24 — 135. (jadwall. Anas strepera. 



Common summer resident. Nests are found usually not many rods from 

 lake shore in thick grass, and often in clumps of buckbrush. Arriving early 

 in April, nesting commences late in May. Seldom found away from the larger 

 sloughs and lakes. 



25 — 137. Baldpate. Anas americana. 



Common summer resident. Nests found in thick grass in vicinity of lakes 

 and coulee holes. Adults usually seen in pairs, and as a rule stay with the 

 young all the season, keeping the family flock together. Arriving middle of 

 April in spring migration. Seldom seen after equinoctial storm in fall. 



26 — 139. Green-winged Teal. Anas carolinensis. 



Tolerably common. A few pair nesting each season. This species are 

 diminishing in numbers quite rapidly in this section, the decrease having been 

 noticeable the past five years. (Now in 1910, I would call it a rare duck 

 during the summer season.) 



27 — 140. Blue-winged Teal. Anas discors. 



Very common summer resident, probably exceeding any other species of 

 ducks in numbers. Nests most anywhere in vicinity of water. Arriving about 

 the second week in April, nesting commences the last week in May, continuing 

 well into August. Young in the down are often seen as late as September 

 first. Half-breeds and Indians collect great numbers of Teal and other ducks' 

 eggs for food. Some of them claim that the eggs which are well incubated 

 make the best eating. They usually stop egg-hunting about the first of July, 

 otherwise there would be small chance for the ducks to increase. 



28 — 142. Shoveller. Spatula clypeata. 



Very common summer resident. Nests usually placed in thick grass and 

 not very far from water. These ducks when mated soon become familiar 

 with the sight of man, and if not disturbed too often, will allow a very close 

 approach. Arriving the second week in April, full sets of eggs are found by 

 May 20th, according to season. 



29—143. Pintail. Dafila acuta. 



Common summer resident. This species is among the earliest migrants, 

 and are usually mated when they get here. They commence nesting the 

 earliest of any of the ducks. They nest on the upland prairies in the stubble- 

 fields, and many of them are plowed under and destroyed. I have found nests 

 of this species no less than a mile from the nearest water. Flocks of young 

 birds are often seen full grown early in July. 



