THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



Li 



with green. When rubbed with a moisi 

 cloth, they take on a Huh polish, 



Next in numbers were the Dusky ducks 

 and the Mallards. Their nests were every 

 way similar; placed on the ground 

 among the sedges, or on knolls bestudded 

 with alder, or on an old nmskrat house, 

 or on the hollow side of a stranded log, 

 but rarely tied to the sedges, after the 

 manner of the Red Head. There was not 

 much down in the nest of the Mallard, 

 but more in that of the Dusky duck, and 

 the eggs of the latter were- not nearly so 

 greenish tinted, in fact, they were some- 

 times quite brownish. 



The nest of the Ruddy duck was not 

 uncommon to the sedges or marsh grass 

 on the water, the dried green grasses 

 circularly laid, the nest sometimes being 

 somewhat bulky, but more frequently 

 very slight, sometimes scarcely more 

 than a matting together of the tops of 

 the marsh grass and sedges. I found 

 one nest on the hollow side of a floating- 

 log. It was a scanty matting of dried 

 grasses and rushes. The eggs, 6-10, are 

 large for the bird, slightly ovate, the 

 rough shell nearly white. 



All night long the gutteral rattle of the 

 King Rail might be heard ; and its ele- 

 gant nes't, tied to the thick marsh grass, 

 and gracefully canopied by the over- 

 hanging tops, was not uncommon. The 

 10 or 11 eggs, 1.62 x 1.20, are rich, ro- 

 seate cream, sparingly, but sharply spec- 

 kled and spotted with reddish brown and 

 lilac. 



The little Porzana is frequently heard, 

 and its fine nest quite common. 



About the middle of the afternoon one 

 wassure to hear the stak-driving notes of 

 the Bittern. They would continue on into 

 the night, and could be heard again ear- 

 ly in the morning. The nest was com- 

 mon, placed somewhat like that of the 

 Ruddy duck, and containing 4 to 5 plain 

 dark-colored eggs, about 1.95 x 1.39. 



j The young are a curiosity. 



The Black Tern was simply abundant, 

 breeding in the most careless manner, 

 laying its eggs on compacted Boating 



debris or slabs, the wet bits of rushes 

 simply laid in a circle. 



One Loon's nest, with its two large 

 eggs, was found on the top of an old 

 muskrat house. This bird was quite 

 common. 



The Common or Thick-billed Grebe's 

 nest was very common indeed,— a sort of 

 pier built up in water a foot or eighteen 

 inches deep, the material, wet rushes and 

 sedges, so loosely laid that they would 

 sway back and forth witli the motion of 

 the water, and the top extending about 

 four inches above the surface, always wet 

 and the eggs partially covered. These 

 were much soiled, but when cleaned, were 

 of a clouded greenish white, surface 

 rough, 1.25 x .87, 6 to 8 in number. 



Coots and Gallinulcs were about as 

 abundant as hens in a farmer's barn 

 yard. The nests of the former were to be 

 found almost every where, those of the 

 latter, out towards the lake. The nests 

 were raft-like, floating on the water, but 

 anchored among the sedges, generally 

 with a sort of platform on one side for the 

 bird to get off and on. The eggs of the 

 Coot, 9-12 or some 11, about 1.95x1.29, 

 are tinged with brown and finely specked 

 with dark brown or black. The Gallin- 

 ules' eggs are smaller, with a dark 

 ground, and more strongly marked. 



Long-billed Marsh Wrens, Bobolinks 

 and Red-winged Blackbirds were abund- 

 ant. 



From these brief and imperfect notes. 

 you will see that the Flats are a rare 

 place for the oologist. 



•L H. Langu.le. 



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