The Fulvous Tree Duck 



southern South America, and Mexico (with our own Southwestern States). 

 The occupation of California by this species is very probably a compara- 

 tively recent matter. The first birds were noted in the Los Banos coun- 

 try, which has now become the recognized center of abundance in Califor- 

 nia, as late as 1895. "Accidental" occurrences have been noted from 

 Washington (Gray's Harbor), and Vancouver Island, which goes to indi- 

 cate that D. bicolor is still looking for worlds to conquer. 



Be that as it may, the Fulvous Swamp Goose has made herself thor- 

 oughly at home in the flooded lands tributary to the Mendota project, 

 where her egg-laying proclivities have become the nine days' wonder of the 

 oologist. The story is told, 1 on the authority of Mr. H. Wanzer, chief 

 engineer for Miller and Lux, that the Fulvous Tree Duck, which "was first 

 brought to his notice" near Los Banos in June, 1895, and which had be- 

 come common by the season of 1898, was at the outset accustomed to 



; 



Taken near Santa Barbara 



FULVOUS TREE DUCKS AT SANDYLAND 



Photo by the Author 



"colonize" or pool its nesting interests. The number of eggs found in 

 caches, or casual hollows among the reeds, or on grassy islands, varied, 

 according to report, from thirty to a hundred. In particular, Mr. Wanzer 

 found such a cache on the 15th of June, 1896, in Camp 13 swamp, which 



1 By F. S. Barnhart. The Condor. Vol. III., May, 1901, p. 67 



1878 



