22 



THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



almost stepped on the nest before the 

 female left. It was very well concealed 

 among the grass and clover, and a glimpse 

 at the nest and ten eggs was very exciting. 

 It was composed of grass and clover rather 

 loosely laid together and lined with down 

 and a few feathers. 



All of the nests that came under mj- 

 notice were quite dry, and with the heavy 

 lining of down, decidedly comfortable. 



Mr. A. M. vShields, of Los Angeles, has 

 kindly given me a few notes relative to the 

 nesting of this species. He saj-s : "After 

 being hatched, the 

 mother Duck (joi- 

 ned b}' her mate) 

 escorts the young 

 brood to the near- 

 est body of water 

 and manifests the 

 greatest solicitude 

 for the welfare of 

 the little fellows, 

 giving a signal 

 upon the slightest 

 approach of dan- 

 ger, which is fol- 

 lowed b}- the al- 

 most instant dis- 

 appearance of the 

 entire brood, as 

 if by magic. 



"Ifon the shore, 

 they di.sappear in 

 the grass ; if in the water, they dive, and 

 that is generally the last seen of them, for 

 the time being at least, as they swim under 

 water for great distances until reaching the 

 edge of the stream or pond, when they 

 impercei)tibly .secrete them.seives among 

 the water moss or grass. 



" I once watched a little fellow as he 

 made his way under the clear water. He 

 went straight for a little bunch of floating 

 moss, and by gazing intently I could just 

 distinguish the least possible little swelling 

 of the moss ; a small hump, as it were, 

 about the size of a marble. He had come 

 to the surface (as intended) under the 



NEST OF CINNAMON TEAL 



patch of moss, and his head and bill were 

 responsible for the little hump in the moss. 

 ' ' Possibly one thing more than anything 

 else helps the little fellows to di.sappear in 

 such marvelously quick time and before 

 you can realize it. The old Duck flutters 

 and falls arouml you just out of your reach 

 and most successfully imitates a fowl badly 

 winged, hardly able to rise from the 

 ground. 



" Her actions are bound to more or less 

 avert your attention for a moment at least, 

 and it is just that moment that the little 



fellows disappear, 

 as the mother 

 Duck undoubted- 

 ly intended. 



"After a short 

 time, when the 

 little ones are all 

 securely hidden, 

 the mother, feel- 

 ing no further 

 anxiety, graceful- 

 ly recovers from 

 her crippled con- 

 dition, flies off 

 a f e w hundred 

 yards, and there 

 awaits your de- 

 parture, when she 

 returns to her fa- 

 mily, who soon 

 gather around her 

 one by one till they are all assembled and 

 everything goes on as though nothing 

 had happened — until the next intruder 

 appears, when ' presto ! change ! ' and 

 the same actions are repeated." 

 College Park, Cal. 



[Read before the Cooper Ornithological 

 Club, August 15, 1893. J 



Western collectors are of the opinion tliat such 

 eggs as those of the Ashy Petrel and White-tailed 

 Kite are listed too low bv dealers. The dealers, 

 they say, in most instances, have not the eggs in 

 stock, nor are they readily able to secure them for 

 sale at such prices. 



