244 . INDIAN DUCKS, 



of " Sooty brownish-black down, having all greyish-white centres." The 

 nest may be placed either close to the water or actually at the ediio, never, 

 as far as I can learn from anything recorded, actually in the water itself. 

 The water may be either fresh or salt, an inland lake far from the shore, 

 or an estuary or creek of the sea itself ; as a rule, the nest is placed 

 amongst either grass or bushes, but sometimes quite out in the open, 

 amongst stones, &c. This sort of situation is not, however, it would seem, 

 as often selected by the Tufted Duck as it is by the Scaup, nor can I find 

 any mention of its placing its nest in holes as does the latter bird. 



Dr. Leverkiihn sends me an interestino- note on the breedino; of this 

 duck. He says, in epistold : — '''' FuUgxda ful'ujula is a very common bird on 

 the great lakes of Hungaria, Slavonia, Germany, and Bulgaria, and I have 

 taken many of its nests during the month of May. The duck, when 

 frightened and leaving its nest, covers the eggs with all the contents — 

 which there may be at the moment — of her intestinal tractus ; for the 

 oologist it is hard work to clean them afterwards. 



" One nest I found was covered in, in a very beautiful manner, by tips 

 of the grass surrounding the nesting-place ; one would have said that 

 this particular duck had known the art of sewing, so finely had she joined 

 the grass-helms together, probably with her bill." 



Most naturalists note that the eggs only vary from six to ten in 

 number, less, therefore, than many other ducks' clutches ; but Seebohm 

 says "" the number of eggs is usually ten or twelve, but sometimes only 

 eight are laid, and occasionally as many as thirteen." Dresser describes 

 the eggs as uniform pale olive, green, or greenish-buff in colour, smooth 

 and polished in texture of shell, and in size average about 2*3 x l'G5 

 inches. Wolley's egg, figured by Hewitson, is of exactly the same size. 



Morris figures the egg as exactly like that of the Scaup, but longer 

 and proportionately narrower. In colour it is rather a bright pale buff. 



As regards their breeding, he says : " These birds breed along the 

 stony shores of the sides of the inland waters, among the cover of vege- 

 tation, more or less thick, with which they are usually bordered. 



"The receptacle for the eggs — for it can hardly be called a nest — is 

 composed of stalks and grasses. 



" The eggs vary in number from eight to ten. They are of a pale butf 

 colour with a tinge of green. 



" The male bird leaves the female after she has beoun to sit.'" 



Gates records the measurements as being between 2*15 and 2*4 inches 

 in length, and 1*55 and 1*65 in breadth. 



