564 



6 



observing its nesting-habits. It arrives late in March or early in April, sometimes as late as the 

 middle of April, at its breeding-haunts, but does not appear to commence preparing its nest 

 before the end of that month, as no complete sitting of eggs was found before the middle of 

 May." Dr. Baldamus then gives a list of the nests he took in 1866-70, ten in number, showing 

 that they were taken between the 12th of May and the 1st of July, the last being strongly 

 incubated, and containing living young. He further states that " the nest is always placed in the 

 rushes or flags, usually on a small island in the pond or on the flags ; and, like all Ducks' nests, it 

 has a foundation of rotten stems of rushes or dead leaves, on which a warm bed of down is placed, 

 this down being plucked from the breast of the female. When the female leaves the nest quietly, 

 she covers her eggs, as do all the Ducks, even our common tame species. In number the eggs 

 vary from eight to nine, ten being an exception, and seven only in late-laid sittings. I have 

 already described the eggs in ' Naumannia,' and in the appendix to Naumann's ' Naturg. d. Vog. 

 Deutscbl.,' and will only add here that the colour, which runs into olive-green, varies but little, 



and in size they vary from 56 to 60 millimetres in length, and 40 to 43 in breadth During 



the time the female is sitting the males are to be seen on the water with those of ferina, leuc- 

 ophtlialmus, and clypeata, but generally somewhat apart from them. In 1866 I counted twelve, 

 in 1868 sixteen, and this year (1870) fourteen males on the pond. Thus they have increased in 

 numbers in spite of the first eggs being regularly taken away and many young birds, besides a 

 few old ones, shot. I have done all I could to protect this lovely Duck, which there is usually 

 called 'Konigs Ente' [or 'King-Duck'], and hope next year to be able to rear the young ones." 



I have three eggs of those obtained by Dr. Baldamus in my collection, which are pale 

 greenish grey in colour, and closely resemble the eggs of the common Pochard, but are, if any 

 thing, a trifle lighter in colour. In size they average 2^y by lf^ inch. 



The specimens figured and described are in the collection of Mr. H. J. Elwes, to whom I am 

 indebted for the loan of them. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser, 

 a, <J ad. Northern India, b, J, c, ? . Sicily, April 1873 (Doderlein) . 



E Mus. H. J. Elwes. 



a, J ad. Bosphorus (Robson). b, $ ad. Inkerman, March 10th, 1869 (H. J. E.). c, 3 ad., d, <$ juv., e, J. 

 Calcutta bazar. 



E Mus. Baron A. von Hiigel. 

 a, 6 ad. Sarepta, April (Moschler). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram, 

 a, d ad. Lake Halloula, Algeria, June 12th, 1856 {H. B. T.). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 

 a, $ , b, 2 • Valencia, summer (H. S.). 



