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



but if at any distance from open water slie usually leaves tlie young to scatter 

 and hide while she attempts to lure away the supposed enemy. 



This bird is well distributed over all the groups of lakes visited. It was found 

 most numerous at Pelican Lake on June 10 ; at Muleshoe Lake, June 7 ; at Dewey 

 Lake, June 3 to 18 ; at Smith Lake, June 10 ; West Twin Lake, June 8 ; Mallard 

 Lake, June 7 ; Corneil Lake, June 9 ; Trout Lake, June 11 ; and Big Lake, June 

 7. In fact, it was absent from only eight of the lakes visited in eastern Cherry 

 County and was common at most of the others, including Clear Lake, June 4; 

 Willow Lake, June 4 ; Dads Lake, June 7 ; Marsh Lake, June 8 ; Red Deer Lake, 

 June 8 ; Ballard Swamp, June 8 ; L Lake, June 9 ; Molly Marsh, June 11 ; the 

 Sweetwater Lakes, June 12 ; Twenty-one Lake, Jirne 12 ; and Alkali Lake, 

 June 18. It was also common at the South Cody Lake on June 1; at West 

 Chain Lake, Brown County, June 14 ; at Moon Lake, June 13 ; at White Willow 

 Lake, near the source of the North Loup River, June 16; and at Silver Lake, 

 in the same region, June 16. In Morrill County it was common at the Hague 

 Lakes and was noted near Alliance on June 21. In Garden County it was 

 common at Moffitt Lake, June 21 ; at Silver Lake, June 21 ; at Bean Lake, 

 June 21 and 22 ; at Reno Lake, June 22 ; at the Peterson Lakes, June 22 ; at 

 Phalarope Lake, June 22 ; and at Bignell Lake, June 22. We observed it also 

 at several of the other lakes of this region. 



On the lakes in eastern Cherry County this duck was common, October 6 to 9 ; - 

 and tolerably common in Garden and Morrill Counties, October 14 to 15. Nine 

 were seen along the Platte River south of Chapman, October 21 ; and three 

 were seen on the same river south of Silver Creek, October 22. Four shot by 

 hunters near Grand Island, October 20, were seen at a hunting lodge, and the 

 species was reported by hunters to be common. 



REDHEAD. Marila atnericana. 



This much-hunted duck was seen at the time of our June visit mostly in 

 small flocks and chiefly in the open water of the larger lakes, though also on 

 some of the smaller bodies of water as well. It is one of the ducks that have 

 very greatly increased since the abolition of spring shooting, and it is now very 

 much more numerous as a breeding bird in this region than it was a few years 

 ago. It is common and well distributed during summer in the lakes of eastern 

 Cherry County and of Garden and Morrill Counties, but is much less frequent 

 in other parts of the sandhill region. It is by considerable the most numerous 

 of all the ducks at this season in Garden County and also here more abundant 

 than in any other part of Nebraska. On Bean Lake the writer saw 99 on 

 June 22, and the species was also abundant on the Hague Lakes, June 21; 

 Mofiitt Lake, June 21 ; and common on the Peterson Lakes, June 22 ; Teal Lake, 

 south of Reno Lake, June 22 ; Trainor Lake, June 22 ; Wild Goose Lake, June 

 21; and Swan Lake, June 21. In eastern Cherry County it was abundant at 

 North, Middle, and South Marsh on June 8; Muleshoe Lake, June 7; Ballard 

 Swamp, June 8 ; Johnson Lake, June 8, and Dewey Lake, June 3 to 18 ; also 

 common on Clear Lake, June 4; Red Deer Lake, June 8; Hay Lake, June 8; 

 the Cumbow Lakes, June 11 ; Foster Lake, June 9 ; Wendler Swamp, June 10 ; 

 and Molly Marsh, June 11. It was common on West Chain Lake, in Brown 

 County, June 14 ; and was noted on Enders Lake, June 14, and on Moon Lake, 

 June 13. Of the lakes at the source of the North Loup River, it was seen only 

 on White Willow Lake, where common, and on Red Willow Lake and Silver 

 Lake, all on June 16. It was not observed on any of the Cody lakes. 



Throughout the lake region of eastern Cherry County this duck was com- 

 mon, October 6 to 9. Fifty were seen on Long Lake, Brown County, October 11 ; 



