94 EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS WEST OF 100TH MERIDIAN. 



birds, as well as the stilts and ducks, seems to consist almost exclus- 

 ively, at this season, of the larvae of single species of insect, with which 

 the alkaline water fairly swarms. The crops of the birds examined were 

 filled with these and a few water-beetles. They deposit their eggs in 

 a slight hollow scratched iu the sand and lined with weeds. These are 

 four in number, of a dull olive-brown color, blotched all over with black. 

 Length, 2.00-1.43; (No. 2,) 1.85-1.07; (No. 3,) 1.91-1.43: (No. 4,) 1.91- 

 1.42. 



96. Himantopm nigricollis, Vieill. Stilt. 



Nearly as abundant as the preceding. Like it, the eggs had been 

 hatched, and I found the young but just from the nest. One nest, built 

 in the same manner as the one mentioned above, contained fresh eggs. 

 They are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species except 

 by their smaller size. 



Length, 1.74-1.31; (No. 2,) 1.74-1.27; (No. 3,) 1.74-1.27. 



RALLIDJE (the Rails). 



97. Fulicaamericana, Gm. Coot. 



Very numerous at the lakes. They breed in colonies among the 

 rushes, the nests often being but a few feet apart. They are very bulky 

 structures, composed of weeds and rushes raised to a height of several 

 inches from the surface of the water, so that the eggs are kept perfectly 

 dry, and are moored to the stems of the surrounding reeds. The great- 

 est number of eggs found iu one nest was eleven, and most contained 

 from five to seven, showing that they were not through laying. This 

 was June 22. 



ANATID^E (the Ducks). 



The following ducks were found at this same locality. Besides those 

 given, others occur here as summer-residents, but owing to their shy- 

 ness the species could not be satisfactorily determined : 



98. Anas boachas, L. Mallard. 

 Rather numerous. Breeding. 



99. Querquedula cyanoptera (Vieill.) Red-breasted Teal. 



100. Querquedula discors (L.) Blue- winged Teal. 



Both observed in considerable numbers. Several teals' nests were 



