448 LIFE HISTORIES OP NORTH AMERIOAN BIRDS. 



the plow, cleaning up everything as they go. I believe that, on the whole it 

 does far more good than harm. 



Mr. B. T. Gault writes me: "In northeastern Illinois the marshes of the 

 Calumet and Fox Lake regions used to be favorite resorts of these birds. I have 

 always found them nesting in the tall wild rice growing abundantly in these 

 localities. Each nest was attached to several such stalks, at a height of 2 or 3 

 feet above the surface of the water, and usually in a place where it was almost 

 out of the question to use a boat to good advantage and quite dangerous if not 

 impossible to wade." 



Mr. J. W. Preston mates the following remarks: "These birds swarm in the 

 numerous swamps of northwestern Iowa. In one small tract of water cane I 

 have seen over a thousand nests built among the stalks, and sometimes so closely 

 as to touch each other. These nests are cunningly woven into clumps of last 

 season's cane, and are choice bits of bird architecture. The materials utilized 

 are old blades of sedges and grasses brought from shallow water and used wet. 

 I have concealed myself among them and watched the female gathering the 

 materials, which she does in a leisurely manner, discarding such as do not suit 

 her. The nest is placed from 6 inches to 3 feet above the water." 



Among the extensive tule marshes bordering Malheur Lake, Oregon, I have 

 seen hundreds of these birds nesting. Here the nests were all securely fastened 

 to several tall tule stems, or to rushes from 10 to 30 inches above the water 

 level. Some resembled inverted cones, and measured as much as 8 or 10 inches 

 in outer depth; the majority, however, were not nearly so deep. A well-preserved 

 nest now before me. No. 20233, United States National Museum collection, taken 

 on June 3, 1876, near Malheur Lake, measures exteriorly 5 inches in depth by 

 5J inches in outer diameter. The inner cup is 2J inches deep by 2| inches in 

 diameter. The outside of the nest is composed of coarse marsh grasses and 

 pieces of tule reeds and rushes, which are woven together while wet, but no mud is 

 used to bind these materials together; the inner cup is lined with finer grasses, 

 these being utilized in a dry state. The nest, although large and bulky, with 

 walls over an inch thick, is quite light, but still strong and durable enough to 

 withstand the heavy gales which occasionally sweep over these shallow inland 

 lakes. I have seen only the female building, and doubt if the male assists to 

 any great extent in this labor, but he does not abandon his mate during the 

 season of incubation, as I liave seen it stated; for, although he may not assist in 

 these duties, he is never far away. It takes about a week to build a nest, and 

 they are frequently not used for a week or more after being finished. In the 

 more southern parts of its breeding range nidification usually begins during the 

 last ten days in May, and is at its height by the middle of June, while in Sas- 

 katchewan and still farther north it is protracted to the latter part of this month. 

 Mr. R. MacFarlane took fresh eggs in the vicinity of Cumberland House on 

 June 30, 1890. 



From two to five eggs are laid to a set, usually four; and I believe, through- 

 out the northern parts of its range at least, only a single brood is raised in a 

 season; an egg is deposited daily. 



