614 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Common migrant in suitable localities. It may occasionally remain 

 through, the summer and breed. A male was taken June 28, 1879, 

 near Sandusky, 0. (Langdon, Summer Birds of N. 0., Marsh, p. 228.) 

 Mr. W. H. Collins found it breeding at St. Clair Flats, Mich. (Bull. 

 Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, pp. 61, 62.) 



The Eed-head spends the winter south of us, being very common! 

 along the gulf coast. They vary in the time of their northward migra- 

 tion with the weather. Usually it does not appear in Indiana until 

 some time in March, but Mr. Stephen A. Warnie reported six seen at 

 St. Clair Flats, Mich., February 13, 1890. No more were observed! 

 until March 8. Mr. Warnie reports a few breeding then. In 1886 the 

 first was killed at English Lake, Ind., March 17; 1887 the first was 

 killed, March 4. A few were seen March 6, 1892. (Deane.) In 1888 

 Prof. B. W. Evermann reported the first noted in the State at Terre 

 Haute, March 9. 



Some years many of them pass north early in April; other years they 

 remain well through the month. At English Lake, May 3, 1891, a 

 number were seen. But on the 10th a single one was noted with Scaup 

 Ducks. (Deane.) 



The Redhead breeds from the northern LTnited States northward 

 through Manitoba, Assiniboia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territory, 

 but apparently does not reach the Arctic Ocean. 



The following account of a nest obtained by Mr. Collins, above re- 

 ferred to, is of interest: "The past season I had the good fortune to 

 find two nests of the Redhead Duck (AytJiya americana), containing 

 respectively, seven and eight eggs. The first was placed on some 

 drifted rushes on a sunken log, and was composed of flags and rushes, 

 evidently taken from the pile of drift upon the log, as they were short 

 pieces, so short, in fact, that the nest, when lifted with the hands, 

 fell in pieces. The nest was about four inches deep and lined with 

 down from the female. This nest contained seven fresh eggs of a 

 creamy color, and varied in measurements from 2.30 by 1.75 to 2.22 by 

 1.66 inches, and were of a uniform oval shape, very little smaller at 

 one end. The other nest was built similar to a Coot's nest; that is, 

 of flags and grass interwoven at the base of a bunch of flags growing in 

 water three or four feet deep. It was built in such a way that the 

 nest would rise and fall with the water. This nest also contained 

 down and eight fresh eggs, uniform in size, shape and color with the 

 others. The birds, male and female, were flying around, and often 

 came close to me. The cry of the female resembles the cry of the 

 Mallard so nearly that had I heard and not seen it I should have sup- 

 posed it to have been the Mallard." 



