26 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



The nest (if such it can be called) is usually a mere depres- 

 sion hollowed out in the sand or mud with sometimes a few 

 sticks, roots, marsh grass, and sods arranged about the edges 

 or within the hollow. At the time of building the nest is so 

 placed that the bird can readily scramble into it from the water, 

 but owing to the receding level, the nest may be some little 

 distance from the water's edge when incubation is complete. 

 A favorite site is on an island, but when such site is not avail- 

 able, or for other reasons, an isolated cove may be sometimes 

 selected to nest in. Eggs are most often laid from the middle 

 to the last of June, sometimes but rarely as early as the first 

 of the month. A nest containing two eggs was found on the 

 shore of a small island at the water's edge. Flood's Pond, Otis, 

 Maine, June 19, 1897. This was a flat nest composed of a 

 few sticks, stems and roots of marsh grass, measuring twenty- 

 five inches across the outside while the diameter of the slight 

 cavity was twelve inches and its depth one and a half inches. 

 The eggs were a dark olive brown, spotted toward the larger 

 end with black and measure 3.56 x 2.29 and 3.60 x 2.18 inches 

 respectively. Eggs of this species are very handsome often 

 being boldly and heavily spotted and blotched, the spots being 

 often most abundant toward the larger end of the egg. Usu- 

 ally two eggs are laid, occasionally only one (such instances 

 being often a second laying when the first one has been 

 destroyed) while very rarely three eggs have been found in the 

 same nest. Fresh eggs sometimes are found as late as early 

 July. The incubation period is very close to 29 days. The 

 young take to the water immediately on hatching, being cov- 

 ered with a dirty grayish down. They swim closely behind 

 their mother, sometimes climbing on her back to rest or perhaps 

 to play, and even when very small are able to dive well, though 

 not to stay under the surface long. During the incubation 

 period a parent bird is usually on the nest during the day, and 

 when strangers approach too near the bird leaves the nest with 

 a sudden rush and plunge, going into the water, diving to swim 



