1 66 Bent, Nesting Habits of Anatidce i?i N. Dakota. \\^^ 



dry grass and occasionally a white feather from the breast of the 

 bird. (PI. V, Fig. I.) 



Tlie principal breeding grounds of this species are the two small 

 islands described under my notes on the Gadwall and Baldpate, 

 where we found all three species nesting abundantly. The Scaups 

 are late breeders, the majority of their eggs being laid during the 

 second week in June or later. On our visit to these islands on 

 May 31, we found only one set of 9 fresh eggs, while on June 

 15 we found no less than 12 nests; on the larger island, which we 

 explored quite thoroughly, we found three nests of 1 1 eggs, two 

 nests of 10 eggs, two nests of 9 eggs, and one nest of 5 eggs ; on 

 the smaller island, where we made only a hurried search during a 

 driving rain storm, we found only four nests, one of which contained 

 the unusually large number of 15 eggs. 



All of these eggs that we collected, three or four sets, proved 

 to be fresh or nearly so. The nests were almost invariably con- 

 cealed in the taller prairie grass, but one nest was located under 

 a small rose bush and one was placed against the side of a small 

 rock surrounded by tall grass. The Scaup Ducks are close sitters, 

 as we always flushed the bird within ten feet of us or less, and 

 when once flushed they seem to show no further interest in our 

 proceedings. They lay occasionally in other ducks' nests ; we 

 found one of their eggs in a Gadwall's nest and one in a White- 

 winged Scoter's nest; but we found no evidence that other ducks 

 ever lay in the Scaup's nests. 



The males apparently desert the females after incubation is 

 begun and flock by themselves or with other ducks in the sloughs 

 or small ponds. 



Aythya collaris (Donov^. Ring-necked Duck. 



This being one of the rarer ducks in North Dakota during the 

 breeding season, I have very little of value to add to its life 

 history from personal experience. It breeds quite commonly 

 throughout the State of Minnesota, where it is one of the com- 

 monest ducks, and in North Dakota is probably more often found 

 breeding in the valley of the Red River of the North, in the 



