WOOD AND WASTE 19 



A second nest when found contained two 

 addled eggs, and had just been vacated, the 

 parents taking off with them seven young 

 ducklings. 



Within a couple of yards of this nest 

 was built another holding eight fresh eggs. 

 The fourth, taken on 4th of January, con- 

 tained three addled eggs. The birds had 

 just left it, their brood still hanging about 

 the raupo in its immediate vicinity. 



Although comparatively easy to locate the 

 whereabouts of a Scaup's nest, its actual 

 espial is by no means a simple matter. 



Indeed, the bird almost seems to disdain 

 concealment of herself, so much does she 

 rely on the difficulties of the discovery of 

 her nest. Often she can be seen openly 

 leaving the lake edge and swimming straight 

 out from shore. You may be sure she has 

 just quitted her eggs, and after a few trials 

 be almost equally sure of your failure to 

 find them. The nest is buried among flax 

 roots and fallen blades half supporting 

 layers and layers of rubbish of ten, fifteen, 

 and twenty years' accumulation. 



