44 Mr. E. Gibson on the Ornithology of [Ibis, 



much across ; it rested on the surface of the water, above 

 which it rose some tliree inclies, and was held in place by 

 the surrounding juncos. On the said date there were two 

 eggs, Avhich I left. Both birds were observed at the time, 

 remaining away on the far edge of the shallow swamp out- 

 side the fence, and on the whole very silent and indifferent to 

 my presence ; one indeed approached to within forty yards 

 of the canoe, where, resting amidst the water-weeds, it 

 preened its feathers unconcernedly, until a Courlan flew 

 along and perched in an ungainly fashion on a post of the 

 fence just over its head, when the Waterhen scuttled away 

 with a musiccd little cackle of protest. 



On the 16th of November, I was chagrined to find the 

 eggs gone, though the birds were still about. On the 27th, 

 however, I found a new nest (the birds themselves not being 

 visible) with three eggs. These, again, I left until the 

 2nd of December, when, the clutch numbering seven, I took 

 possession of them, and they proved to be slightly incubated. 

 On this occasion I had given up all hope of getting even a 

 glimpse of the parent birds, when, on once more standing up 

 in the canoe, I espied the male on a little adjacent island in 

 comp^my with a Yellow-billed Coot. I shot it, and subse- 

 quently secured the female, on the opposite side of the 

 charco in clear watei- beyond the fence. This nest was 

 situated in the larger, but opener, rush-bed. It was built 

 of dry junco stems and lined with green water-weeds; not 

 at all an untidy structure ; it was about five inches high, 

 thirteen across the base and ten at the top ; with a neat 

 hollow for the eggs, six inches across and two deep. 



The eggs were of a warm greyish brown ground-colour, 

 speckled with red-brown, and with larger and stronger 

 mottlings of same, the latter increasing towards the blunt 

 end. Two of the specimens had a very few brown streaks ; 

 and equally scarce were some faint sub-surface pale lilac spots. 



The eggs vary in measurement from 49 x 32 mm. to 

 46 X 32 mm. ; general average 47 x 32 mm. 



If I have been over-dift'use regarding the nesting-ha*bits 

 of the American Waterhen, my excuse must be that it and 



