1^2 Bent, Nesting Habits of AtiatidcB in N. Dakota. \_A^. 



Erismatura jamaicensis (6^;;/^'/.). Ruddy Duck. 



We must return again to the innermost recesses of the deep water 

 sloughs, the home of the Canvas-back and the Yellow-headed Black- 

 bird, to study the habits of this handsome little duck, where we are 

 almost sure to find them in every suitable slough. The male, in 

 his full nuptial plumage, is a striking and showy bird as he swims 

 in and out among the reeds or floats about in the open water at a 

 safe distance with the male Canvas-backs and Redheads. He is 

 easily distinguished by his short stout body, his tail pointed up- 

 wards or even forwards, his white cheeks and the rich deep red 

 on his back. The female is very shy, the shiest of all the ducks, 

 is seldom seen, and skulks away from her nest when she hears 

 anyone coming; we never were able to flush one from the nest 

 and never even saw one near her nest ; nor did we ever see any 

 evidence of parental devotion or anxiety. 



In the large deep water sloughs of Steele County there are 

 extensive tracts of tall reeds, often higher than our heads, growing 

 so thickly and closely that nothing can be seen through them at a 

 little distance. In these excellent hiding places the Ruddy Duck 

 conceals its nest, and so well is this done that even after the nest 

 has been once found it is extremely difficult to locate it again. 

 The nests are well made of reeds, closely interwoven, built up out 

 of the water, held in place by the growing reeds, well concealed 

 from view and generally with the live reeds arched over them ; 

 they were, as a rule, very sparingly lined with a little dull whitish 

 down, but, as all the eggs we examined were fresh, possibly more 

 down would have been added later. We found in all five nests of 

 the Ruddy Duck in these two sloughs in Steele County; a 

 description of two of them will give a fair idea of them all. 



A nest found on June lo was located among some rather open 

 tall reeds in water knee deep, and was made of dry reeds and a 

 little down ; the rim of the nest was about 7 inches above the 

 water and it measured about 7 inches across, the cavity being 

 about 4 inches deep. The 10 eggs which it contained were 

 nearly fresh. This nest is shown in the photograph (PL VI, Fig. 



Another nest, found on June 1 1 and collected two days later, 



