Ducks booting 107 



by Mr. B. F. Goss at Horicon Lake, southern 

 Wisconsin, May 24, is described as situated 

 near the highest part of a small island, some five 

 feet from the water on bare ground, and in com- 

 pany with numbers of mallards. The nest con- 

 tained ten fresh eggs. It breeds from late May 

 to July, the time corresponding to the locality. 

 There is a record of a brood of shovellers hatched 

 in the garden of the Zoological Society in England 

 in the summer of 1841. After the duties of incu- 

 bation the bright plumage of the male is shed, 

 and the bird assumes an attire like that of the 

 female, but darker, not resuming his splendid 

 dress of winter until October. During the latter 

 part of August the shoveller is perhaps the com- 

 monest duck of our Western states, frequenting the 

 ponds and sloughs of the prairies. Here they are 

 found with large numbers of other ducks, and are 

 the tamest and most readily approached of all the 

 flocks. They feed on various vegetable and animal 

 substances which the peculiar, broad bill is specially 

 adapted for sifting from the water. The flesh, 

 while good, is not equal to that of the mallard or 

 teal. When the vast numbers of ducks congregat- 

 ing on the lake are disturbed, the shovellers cross 

 the land low down, and while the flight is speedy, 

 they are readily killed. These birds come well to 

 decoys ; but as the localities where they are most 

 abundant are rather beyond the range of the ordi- 



