Michigan Ornithological Club 73 



locality two eggs are usually deposited, although one is very often the 

 complement. The most noticeable characteristic of the Loon's eggs is the 

 variation in size. Some are considerably longer and more pointed than others. 

 I found a set of two a year ago last spring which appears to be the eggs of 

 two different birds, one of the eggs being very much longer than the other. 



In regard to the nesting sites Mr. Alexander W. Blain, Jr., writes me as 

 follows : "One of the most interesting facts which I have noted in regard to 

 the nesting of the Loon is the two distinct sites selected for their nests. 

 J he first and probably the most common, being those situated in the marsh 

 and composed of a floating mass of decaying vegetation, much after the 

 fashion of the Grebe nests — or placed on the top of some musk-rat house 

 which has sunk almost to the waters edge at this time of the year. The 

 second is those which are situated on the land some feet from the water. 

 Of the latter type, so to speak, I found a most striking example this spring 

 on one of the marl lakes in northern Oakland County. We observed one 

 of the birds at a long distance, and from its actions felt sure that it must be 

 nesting in one of the small lakes of this chain. A glance at the edge of the 

 lake showed that there were no suitable nesting locations, so we rowed to 

 a small island out in the middle. As we approached we saw the female 

 coming around from the other side. A close search of this island proved that 

 they were not nesting there, so we rowed to another small island a short 

 distance off. Here we found the nest surrounded by wild rose bushes anj 

 shrubs about eight feet from the water on the bank and about two feet above 

 high water mark. It was composed of rushes much after the fashion of the 

 nests built in the water, but was not quite so elaborate. The two eggs were 

 still warm, and later proved to be quite highly incubated. This set was found 

 on May 22nd. The day before Mr. Bert Stowell found a nest situated in the 

 water containing one egg. He left it, returning in about a week to find that 

 the bird had laid no more. The birds of this latter set showed no sign of 

 fear, and would come up quite close to us, while with my set the birds could 

 no longer be seen after we had reached the nest. I credit the above cited 

 land-building habit to the fact that very few weeds or rushes grow in the 

 marl and suitable obstruction from view was not afforded. The 

 birds had thus selected this location to meet the emergency — another case of 

 circumstances effecting location in nest-building." 



On May 17th, 1902, while going through the marshes on one of the lakes 

 in the central part of Oakland County, a female Loon rose about thirty 

 teet ahead of the boat and joined the male, which was swimming about in 

 the middle of the lake. Being unable to locate the nest we left and returned 

 later in the day, this time entering the marsh from the opposite direction 

 from that which we had the first time. A few minutes later, the female 

 appeared on the surface about two hundred yards from the marsh, having 

 swum out under water. This time we had no trouble in locating the nest, 

 which was merely an old musk-rat house that had sunken almost to the waters 

 edge. It was situated on the edge of a small cove in two feet of water and 

 contained two fresh eggs. From this it seems that the bird does not always 

 cive and swim from the nest, but slides back into the marsh and rises when 

 pursued from the lake. 



On a large lake a few miles from where I took my set, a resident of 

 one of the small towns in that part of. the county flushed a Loon from its 

 nest in the center of a rush island. He took the two eggs which the nest 

 contained home with him, and through curiosity placed them under a setting 



