a 
494 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
former about the 10th of May, and in the latter about 
the second week in September, and remaining until the 
middle of October. It frequents fresh-water ponds and 
streams in small flocks, where it feeds on various water 
insects, their larve, the seeds of aquatic plants, and the 
tadpoles of the different frogs. Its flesh is well flavored, 
and, with the next species, is one of the most popular in all 
our markets. I have often seen individuals of this species 
associate with the ducks in a farmer’s yard or duck-pond, 
and have known them to come to the barn-yard with the 
tame fowls, and eat with them the corn thrown out for their 
food. In the water, it is a graceful bird, moving about 
with great activity. Its flight is rapid; and accompanied 
with a whistling murmur different from that of most of our 
other ducks. , 
This bird probably breeds in the secluded lake districts 
of the northern portions of New England, as it is found in 
considerable abundance in localities in Nova Scotia and 
Canada in the same latitude. It nests early in June, some- 
times by the 20th of May. 
The nest is placed on the ground, in a thick patch or 
tussock of grass, usually in meadows within a few feet of a 
small pond or stream. It is constructed of, first, a thick 
layer of soft pieces of grass and weeds, on which is placed a 
thin covering of the down and feathers from the breast of 
the bird. The eggs are from five to eight in number: they 
are usually ovoidal in form, sometimes nearly oval, and vary 
in dimensions from 1.90 by 1.82 inch (Nova Scotia) to 1.73 
by 1.22 inch. Their color is a dirty-white, with a slight 
greenish tint. 
QUERQUEDULA, STEPHENS. 
Querquedula, StePHENS, Shaw’s Gen. Zool., XII. (1824). (Type Anas querque- 
dula, L.) 
Bill narrow, lengthened, a little longer than the foot, widening a little to the 
end, which is obtusely rounded; the tail occupying about one-third the width; 
the lamelle visible in the lateral profile; the upper lateral angle at the base of 
bill extending rather further back than the lower edge. 
