18 BIRDS OF THE WATER 



The Scaup's breeding^ season extends over 

 many months, the first lot of little ducklings 

 appearing last year on November 27th, and 

 within a few days, several other broods, 

 also just hatched, were noticed on the lake. 



The last lot observed were a day or two 

 old on March 7th, and on March 12th a 

 pair were known to be sitting. 



In early autumn they begin to reassemble 

 from all quarters and reunite in one or two 

 large flocks, spending the hours of daylight 

 in deep water, and far from shore, and 

 only at nightfall venturing into the shallows 

 and raupo beds. 



Four nests w^ere obtained during last 

 season, and from the first discovered, when 

 deserted by the old birds, the eggs were 

 taken, placed under a hen and duly hatched 

 on November 27th. 



The eggs, of a brownish olive green 

 colour, and considerably polished, are large 

 for the size of the duck, as big, in fact, 

 as those of a Buff Orpington hen. They 

 are slightly flattened at the blunt end, and 

 average 1107 grains. 



