24 BULLETIN 794, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It was abundant everywhere throughout eastern Cherry County, October 

 6 to 9, 1915 ; common on several of the lakes in Brown County, October 10 

 and 11 ; and abundant everywhere throughout the lakes in Garden and Morrill 

 Counties, October 14 and 15. Seventy-five were seen on Winter Creek Lake, 

 near Scotts Bluff, October 19. The species was said to be very common on the 

 Platte River, October 20 to 22, but we saw none. 



BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Querqueilula discors. 



This little duck is one of the best known of all the waterfowl of this region, 

 as is not unnatural from its abundance and wide distribution. It lives where- 

 ever there is sufficient water in which to swim — in lakes, large and small, in 

 ephemeral ponds, in ditches, and in roadside pools. It is fond of remaining in 

 the grass, rushes, or reeds about the margins of the lakes, and is not so fre- 

 quently as some other ducks seen riding the waves out in the wide expanses of 

 open water. In summer it is one of the least suspicious of ducks, and, where 

 not disturbed, may be readily approached. It breeds in numbers throughout 

 the sandhill region, particularly about the lakes of eastern Cherry County, 

 placing its nests on the ground amid the grass, usually not at a great distance 

 from the water. A nest containing 12 eggs was found by the writer on the 

 shore of Soiith Cody Lake on June 1. Others were noted as follows : Three, 

 containing, respectively, 5, 10, and 10 eggs, near the margin of Willow La.ke", 

 June 4; one containing 12 eggs, in the grass at Dewey Lake, .Tune 5; one with 

 11 eggs, at Pelican Lake, June 10 ; one with 7 eggs, on Molly Marsh, June 11 ; 

 and one containing 11 eggs near Teal Lake, south of Reno Lake, Garden County, 

 June 22. No broods of young following their parents were seen ; so it is fair to 

 assume that these did not begin to appear until about the first of July. 



In most places in the sandhills this is, during the breeding season, by far 

 the most abundant and one of the most generally distributed ducks, although 

 in Garden County it is outnumbered by both the redhead and the shoveller. 

 Of the lakes of eastern Cherry County visited in summer it was absent from 

 only three, and from but one of those of Brown County. It was most abun- 

 dant at Pelican Lake, June 10 ; Willow Lake, June 4 ; Dewey Lake, June 3 to 

 18 ; Trout Lake, June 11 ; Red Deer Lake, June 8 ; Big Lake, June 7 ; North, 

 Middle, and South Marsh, June 8; Clear Lake, June 4; Big Alkali Lake, June 

 9 ; Molly Marsh, June 11, and Muleshoe Lake, June 7. In the other groups of 

 lakes it was less numerous, but still common on South Cody Lake, June 1 ; 

 Enders Lake, .June 13 and 14 ; Moon Lake, June 13 ; Marsh Lake, Brown 

 County, June 13 and 14 ; Diamond Lake, Brown County, June 14 : Speckelmire 

 Lake, near the head of the North Loup River, June 16; White Willow Lake, 

 June 16; Red Willow Lake, .June 16; the Peterson Lakes, in Garden County, 

 June 22 ; Reno Lake, June 22 ; Swan Lake, June 21 ; Bean Lake, .June 21 and 

 22; Teal Lake, south of Reno Lake, June 22; Phalarope Lake, June 22; and 

 Wild Goose Lake, June 21. 



It was tolerably common throughout the lake region of eastern Cherry 

 County, October 6 to 9, and the writer saw 3 at Moon Lake, Brown County, 

 October 10; 3 on Goose Lake, Garden County, October 14; and 3 on Roundup 

 Lake, October 14. 



SHOVELLER. Spatula clypeata. 



One of the best-known ducks in this I'egion, the shoveller is also one of 

 the most beautiful. Like the blue-winged teal, it frequents almost any body 

 of water, however small, and often rises from roadside pools as teams drive 

 along. Though frequently seen out in the open water of the larger lakes, it 



