34 BIRDS OF THE WATER 



Cuba ted aud as I was fearful of losing my 

 change. T may have erected it in too close 

 proximity to the nest. xVt any rate next 

 morning, when revisiting the spot, I found 

 that the eggs had been thrown out of the 

 nest on all sides, and its edges trampled 

 and flat. The blunt breaks on the ruined 

 eggs, and the presence of the whole clutch 

 imeaten in any degree pointed to this 

 destruction as having been the work of the 

 duck herself. 



No hawk, or rat, or weasel would have 

 thus wantonly destroyed them. Had vermin 

 been at work, most of the eggs would ha^^e 

 been devoiired, and one or two probably 

 missing. The holes, also, would have been 

 of different shapes and sizes. 



During this past season another Grey 

 Duck's nest was got, found accidentally by 

 one of a party of scrubr-utters. It was placed 

 among fern nearly half a mile from the 

 nearest water, and as the bird had returned 

 after being put off, I had hopes of getting 

 a picture of her sitting. To effect this it 

 was necessary to clear away a good deal 

 of fern in the foreground, and our work 



