of Oberlin, making the reservoir the base of suppHes. The nest has not been 

 found, to be sure, but the birds make daily visits to the reservoir all summer 

 long, and in the fall pay it a farewell visit with the whole brood. It seems more 

 than likely that a few pairs nest in the northern parts of the state each sum- 

 mer. Most of those which pass us in the migrations spend the summer many 

 miles north of Ohio. 



The nest seems to be placed at the edge of running water, in thick grass, 

 rushes, or weeds, slightly sunken, and lined with dry grasses and the down 

 from the mother bird's breast. It is not a v/ell-made nest, but is sufficient to 

 contain the dozen eggs. The birds flush only when danger threatens near at 

 hand, when they get up quickly and are away at great speed. The eggs are a 

 darker drab than is usual with ducks' eggs. 



So closely do the two Scaups or Blue-Bills resemble each other and so 

 similar are their general habits that, except as regards their distribution, what 

 is said of one applies almost equally well to the other. Like its congener, the 

 lesser Scaup is prone to associate in immense flocks, and on this account is 

 sometimes called the ''Raft Duck." Because of this habit and because it de- 

 coys well, this Scaup is a favorite with gunners, and immense numbers are killed 

 every season and find their way to the markets. Naturally they are nothing like 

 so numerous as formerly though, everything considered, they still hold their 

 own fairly well. I found the lesser Scaup abundant in Florida and in the Gulf 

 States in winter in the early seventies, and Qiapman thinks they are more 

 southern in their winter distribution than is the Greater Scaup. This species 

 ranks among our best divers and its food habits are such as to insure it a warm 

 welcome on the table of the epicure. It is very fond of wild rice, and in fall, 

 when the crop of this grain ripens, frequents the inland lakes by thousands, and 

 soon becomes fat on this nutritious diet. In protected waters it is surprising 

 how soon this duck and its congener, the Greater Scaup, become tame. I have 

 often approached flocks within half a gun shot that were apparently quite indif- 

 ferent to my presence, and yet elsewhere the same individuals were wary enough 

 to insure their own safety. No doubt the Scaups would readily lend themselves 

 to semi-domestication. 



Do you know that Pennsylvania has aboHshed its crow law ? For a time the 

 state offered a bounty of fifty cents for each crow killed. The state paid out about 

 a hundred thousand dollars in bounties before it repealed the law. It was dis- 

 covered that rats, mice and other pests had increased alarmingly ; and the gen- 

 erally approved estimate was that this bounty law had cost the farmers over two 

 million dollars, as well as costing the state over a hundred thousand. Illinois 

 had a crow-bounty law at one time, and was glad to take it off the books — enter- 

 prising gentlemen of other states were shipping in crows in car lots. They found 

 that the crow had its place in the plans of Nature. 



730 



