DAFILA ACUTA. 187 



" These ducks pair in April. 



" From 6 to y or 9 ego-s are laid. The vouno; are hatched in about 

 23 days. They at once repair to the water."" 



The nest is usually well concealed amidst the shrub and coarse reeds and 

 grass, and takes a considerable amount o£ searching to discover ; but the 

 duck sits very close, and often rises at ono^s feet almost, thus disclosing 

 the position, wdiich might otherwise escape detection. 



The eggs vary from 6 to 10 in number, being usually 6 to 8, and 

 occasionally only 5 are laid. 



In colour they are a pale dull greenish stone-colour, in a few yellowish- 

 stone, but all dull and all pale with no very definite colour such as some 

 ducks' eggs have. There is a slight gloss, sometimes rather pronounced, 

 and I have seen none entirely glossless. The texture is extremely fine and 

 close, and the shell perhaps rather thinner in proportion to the size of the 

 eggs than are the majority of eggs of the Anatinfe. 



My eggs seem to average rather large ; I have a clutch given me by 

 Herr M. Ivuschel, and collected, I believe, in East Prussia, Avhich averages 

 2*24 by 1*G inches, the biggest is 2*27 by 1*62. A number of other eggs 

 I have measured lune been well over 2*20 inches, and I have seen none 

 under 2*1. 



The eggs collected in Finland, both by Wolley and Dresser, had their 

 measurements recorded as 2 x 1"5 inches, but the eggs collected by the 

 latter in Jutland measured 2"22 x 1'4. 



