38 BIRDS OF THE WATER 



Brown Duck began on October 13th. 

 Returning late that night from watching 

 for Bhie Ducks, and riding past a marshy 

 spot on the road, I noticed something 

 skidking in front along the watertable. 

 Flushed, it proved to l)e a Brown Duck, 

 and had scarcely relit a few yards distant, 

 when, wdth a great quacking aiiother bird 

 — one of three — flew down and joined com- 

 pany. 



It was evident from their mutual excite- 

 ment and interchange of greetings, that 

 they were mates, and after waiting a little 

 I rode home, arguing that there must be a 

 nest in the vicinity, that the flushed bird 

 must have been sitting, and that she had 

 temporarily left a not vei-y distant nest to 

 feed. 



Next day, ho^^'ever, systematic search 

 revealed nothing, and twice later we were 

 equally unsuccessful. 



Each night we lay out, Brown Ducks, 

 just after dark, could be heard coming to 

 the marsh, but each night, also, other 

 Brown Ducks were there before our 

 arrival. 



