243



On a peatliar Nesting Site of Mallard.



I saw a number of species in captivity ; but my two Rose-Finches

were the only ones that came under my notice. I fancy this

species must be fairly rare, or else of very local distribution, for

I never met with it in a wild state, although I devoted much of

my time to ornithology and visited widely separated districts.

It is probably a mountain bird, breeding in the pine-forests of

the more northern ranges; but I believe its eggs are still unknown

to science.


In summer the adult male has the head pearly or silvery

white, with the forehead and lores, close to the base of the bill,

rose-red. The upper surface shades from pinkish to rosy-carmine

on the rump, the back being streaked with dark brown. The

breast is also rose-coloured but is whiter about the throat and

neck. The female, of course, is much duller, brown or fawn

being the prevailing hue. Both sexes have two more or less

distinct whitish bars across the wings. The tail, which is com¬

paratively long, is blackish with the outer feathers white ; it is

usually carried in a slightly raised position, and is frequently

being flicked to and fro, a habit that serves to give the birds a

perky and almost insolent appearance.


On the continent of North-east Asia, this species has a

near ally in Uragus sibiricjcs, a rather larger and less brilliant

bird.



PECULIAR NESTING SITE OF MALLARD.


By F. Barber-Starkey.


On April 5th, while walking round one of our ponds, I

happened to see a Mallard duck fly out of a large oak tree grow¬

ing on the side of a pool.


I returned for a ladder, and on climbing up was surprised

to find a duck’s nest containing six eggs. The eggs, which were

placed in a natural hollow in the fork of the tree, were quite

exposed, and what nest there was consisted of small pieces of

bark and twigs off the oak tree.


Once more I returned home, this time for my camera and

a measuring tape. To photograph the nest I had a good deal of

bother fixing up my camera in the tree, as half a gale was blow-



