Jan., 1884.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



3 



been noticed in the county, but I have not 

 heard of any nests being found. A few 

 nests of this bird were found here several 

 years ago, but we can only class them as 

 casual visitors, until more certain evidence 

 of their nesting is obtained. 



The collectors of the county all com- 

 plain of having had poor, success this sea- 

 son.— W. S. M., West Chester, Pa. 



The Wood or Summer Duck. 



This is considered the most beautiful 

 of the many species of Ducks in the 

 United States. 



It is well known for the brilliant color- 

 ing and metallic lustre of its feathers, and 

 abundant wherever there are fresh water 

 pionds and streams. 



The birds are ehy, and it is not often 

 they can be observed very closely. We 

 once surprised a flock of about twenty-five, 

 when gunning in New Jersey. Eowing up 

 the stream, we came, about daylight, to a 

 sharp bend, where bushes hid our ap- 

 proach. The flock were on their feeding 

 grounds, and. though not fifty feet from 

 our boat, did not appear to notice us. 



It was in the Fall of the year, the birds 

 were mostly young. For several minutes 

 we watched them washing and plunring, 

 diving and feeding, and then spinning 

 around like downy balls on the water, ut- 

 tering at times then- peculiar notes. 



The plumage of the birds, old and 



young, was not so brilliant as it would 

 have been in the Spring, when they are 

 decked out in their almost gorgeous uni- 

 form. 



It is not often they are caught in this 

 way. After having watched them suffic- 

 iently, it took but a second to destroy the 

 picture, as the two barrels of our gun 

 rudely startled them. 



They come in the Spring, as soon as the 

 ice is out of the ponds, and commence to 

 build their nests in April. A hollow tree 

 is their favorite spot, and well up in the 

 tree. They sometimes will enter by what 

 appears to be a very small hole in the 

 trunk, and go down, four, or even sis feet 

 until they find a solid spot to build their 

 nest upon. They carry some twigs or 

 grass, and line the nest with a thick felt of 

 their own down, which becomes so matted 

 that the eggs can be lifted up in it as if it 

 was a felt hat. We have never known any 

 nests except in a hollow tree or stump. 

 If the first nest is broken up, they will lay 

 a second, and again, if that is robbed, a 

 third time. 



The largest number of eggs found in a 

 nest as stated by reliable parties is eight- 

 een. Eleven to thirteen is the usual aver- 

 age, and late nests (second or third) rare- 

 ly have more than eight or nine. 



If the first nest is destroyed, they will 

 not desert the neighborhood. A friend of 

 ours found a nest on the Passaic Biver 

 and took the eggs, but having pity on the 

 old birds, he carried back a dozen of com- 

 mon duck's eggs as a fair exchange. The 

 duck continued to sit until some one, see- 

 ing the nest, carried off the eggs. In a 

 few days, our friend was invited to see a 

 brood of young Wood Ducks at a neigh- 

 bors, who had built them a beautiful house 

 and was very proud of his prize. Our 

 friend said little, but smiled a grim smile 

 as he told his neighbor that it would not 

 be necessary to pinion the young ducks, 

 as they would never go far. As they grew 

 they developed into the most common of 



