BREEDING OF THE TUFTED DUCK. 



509 



larger than Teal's down, and the fleck is not nearly so con- 

 spicuous or white. The eggs in the nest photographed were 

 greenish, but in the second nest, off which I flushed the old 

 duck, they were coloured like a Pheasant's. The solitary egg 

 was of the latter type. 



When the duck leaves the nest to feed — and she is then away 

 for an hour or more at a time — she carefully covers the eggs with 



Nest of Tufted Duck {Fuligula cristata). 



down. The duck which I saw swimming on the pool was the 

 owner of the nest photographed, yet, although she had been 

 absent for nearly an hour by the keeper's observation, the eggs 

 were quite warm. In order to photograph the nest it was 

 necessary to push the rushes over it to right and left, as well as 

 to remove the covering of down. 



