Vol. XX 

 1903 



] Brooks, Birds of the Cariboo District, B. C. 279 



usually in coarse grass, with a waterway, generally a mu.skrat's runway, 

 connecting with the nearest open water. Clutches varied from seven to 

 eleven eggs each. First eggs taken on 21st June. 



17. Aythya coUaris. Ring-necked Duck. — A rather scarce 

 breeder. I was able to take only one set of eggs, evidently a second 

 laying, as there was no down. This was on the 27th June. The nest 

 was in a tussock of grass, in eight inches of water; it was composed of 

 coarse green grass and arched over with the drooping blades of the 

 tussock. The nine eggs contained small embryos. 



Young broods of this species were observed before the Lesser Scaups 

 {A. affinis) had started to lay. The young in down are very light colored, 

 resembling the young of the Canvasback and Redhead, and quite dif- 

 ferent from the dusky, unspotted young of the Lesser Scaup. (See PI. X.) 



18. Clangula clangula americana. American Golden-eye. — Com- 

 mon during migrations, but not observed during the breeding season. 



19. Clangula islandica. Barrow's Golden-eye.— A rather scarce 

 breeder in the neighborhood of i^S-Mile House, but common in 

 La Hache \'allev. One set of eggs was taken from a hole in a dead 

 Douglas fir, fiftv feet from the ground, probably the deserted nest of 

 a tlying ^quiirel. The tree stood about four hundred yards from the 

 nearest water. The eggs (seven) at this date (17th June) contained large 

 embryos. I saw another nesting hole but was unable to reach it. The 

 female brought fourteen young ones out from this. 



20. Charitonetta albeola. Buffle-iiead. — Almost every lake has 

 one or more pairs of these charming little ducks. Unlike Barrow's 

 Goldeneve, the nests were always in trees close to, or but a short distance 

 away from water. These nests were invariably the deserted nesting holes 

 of flickers, and in most cases had been used several years in succession bv 

 the ducks. The holes were in aspen trees, from five to twenty feet from 

 the ground, and the entrance was not more than three and a quarter 

 inches in diameter. The number of eggs ranged from two to nine, eight 

 being the average ; in color they resemble old ivory, without any tinge 

 of green. I have several times seen the eggs of this duck described as 

 ** dusky green," but these have evidently been the eggs of some species 

 of Teal. The female Bufflehead is a very close sitter, never leaving the 

 nest until the hole was sawed out, and in most cases I had to lift the bird 

 and tiirow her up in the air, when she would make a bee-line for the 

 nearest lake, where her mate would be slowly swimming up and down 

 unconscious of the violation of his home. In many cases the eggs had 

 fine cracks, evidently made by the compression of the bird's body wlien 

 entering the small aperture. 



21. Harelda hyemalis. Old-sqliaw. — Common on the larger lakes, but 

 bv June they had all gone North, with the exception of a single female 

 which remained on a small lake near the i^S-Mile House throughout the 

 summer. 



22. Histrionicus histrionicus. Harleql'in Duck. — A scarce summer 

 resident on some of the mountain streams. 



