BIEDS or INDIANA. 611 



first bird wave in the spring. In 1888 Prof. B. W. Evermann re- 

 ported a female, from Terre Haute, February 29. In 1890 Mr. S. 

 A. Warner noted two, the first of the season, at St. Clair Flats, 

 Mich., March 11, and in 1897 Mr. Jerome Trombley noted two at 

 Petersburg, Mich., March 3. It is not often, however, that the move- 

 ment is so early. 



Usually they are observed going north after March 15 in this State, 

 and correspondingly later, northward. 



Mr. John S. Elliott informs me it is a permanent resident in Posey 

 County, in the extreme southern part of the State. 



Often they are paired when migrating, and through April most of 

 them are mated, and begin looking for nesting sites. The nests are 

 generally placed in a cavity or hollow tree near water. The earliest 

 young are ready to leave the nest the latter part of May. May 25 is 

 the earliest I have ever known them to be out. 



Under date of July 29, 1889, Mr. Ruthven Deane writes the follow- 

 ing concerning the Wood Duck at English Lake: cf l saw perhaps 

 seventy-five Wood Ducks during the day some single ones, many 

 pairs and some flocks of ten to fifteen. During the hot days they like 

 to stay in shady nooks, under brush piles on the edge of the river. 

 Yet many content themselves by basking in the sun, sitting on some 

 dead log on the river, and in most cases, just at a bend, where they 

 can keep an eye open for intruders who may be coming up or down. 

 The young are now well grown, and while many do not get off the 

 water with the agility of adults, yet they are strong on the wing when 

 they get' a little headway." Mr. Deane informs me they were un- 

 usually numerous for the time of year at English Lake August 8, 1897. 



I am informed that they are reported to have been found breeding 

 in trees, on the scrub oak ridges, as much as a mile and a half or 

 two miles back from the Kankakee River and away from all bodies of 

 water. The young, soon after being hatched, are said to be carried to 

 the river by the parent birds. Audubon and Wilson both speak of the 

 parents carrying the young to water, but I do not know that anyone 

 heretofore has reported an instance of their breeding at such a distance 

 from water, requiring such a journey to convey the young to it. 



As the broods hatch they are led to the more retired waters and 

 taught all that is necessary to know about feeding, diving and flying, 

 together with all the necessary finer accomplishments. When they 

 are deemed ready to care for themselves, they all come out upon the 

 more open stream. In some favored localities, quite a num- 

 ; ber could formerly be seen by September 1. They afford the 

 principal early duck shooting. They have been noted in recent years 



