Wild-Fowl of Wild-Fowl 



tion, and canopied by the surrounding reeds being 

 drawn over them, and even twisted together. In 

 fact, some looked almost exactly like a larger type 

 of Rail's nests. As has been the experience of 

 others, we never could catch Mrs. Ruddy on the 

 nest. She always skulks off, and allows not even 

 a glimpse of herself. 



The other two kinds usually remain sitting on 

 their eggs, flushing sooner, however, than the prairie- 

 nesting Ducks, when the intruder comes within ten 

 to fifteen paces. 

 The Redhead is 

 a great layer. 

 Some days I 

 found half a 

 dozen nests, most 

 of which had as 

 many as ten eggs, 

 several times fif- 

 teen, and once I 

 flushed a Red- 

 head from 

 twenty-two eggs — the largest set that I have ever 

 seen in the nest of any bird. The Canvasback usu- 

 ally had ten or eleven eggs, sometimes as few as 

 seven. One nest that I found was in a very large, 

 open clump, away out in the water. I saw it first 

 when the bird flew at some distance from me. There 

 were six eggs, and I visited it a few days later to see 

 if she had laid more. Mrs. Canvasback was asleep 

 on the nest, with her bill resting on her breast. I 

 stood within ten yards and watched her for several 

 minutes. Think of it! the famous Canvasback of 



'THE RUDDY DUCKS WERE ONLY JUST LAYING, AND 

 HAD ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO TEN EGGS . . . 

 WELL HIDDEN AWAY IN THE REEDS" 



203 



