98 



SUMMER DUCK. 



river, New Jersey. It was an old grotesque White Oak, whose 

 top had been torn off by a storm. It stood on the declivity of the 

 bank, about twenty yards from the water. In this hollow and bro- 

 ken top, and about six feet down, on the soft decayed wood, lay 

 thirteen eggs, snugly covered with down, doubtless taken from the 

 breast of the bird. These eggs were of an exact oval shape, less 

 than those of a hen, the surface exceedingly fine grained, and of 

 the highest polish and slightly yellowish, greatly resembling old 

 polished ivory. The egg measured two inches and an eighth by 

 one inch and a half. On breaking one of them, the young bird 

 was found to be nearly hatched, but dead, as neither of the parents 

 had been observed about the tree during the three or four days 

 preceding ; and were conjectured to have been shot. 



This tree had been occupied, probably by the same pair, for 

 four successive years, in breeding time; the person who gave me 

 the information, and whose house was within twenty or thirty yards 

 of the tree, said that he had seen the female, the spring preceding, 

 carry down thirteen young, one by one, in less than ten minutes. 

 She caught them in her bill by the wing or back of the neck, and 

 landed them safely at the foot of the tree, whence she afterwards 

 led them to the water. Under this same tree, at the time I visit- 

 ed it, a large sloop lay on the stocks, nearly finished, the deck was 

 not more than twelve feet distant from the nest, yet notwithstand- 

 ing the presence and noise of the workmen, the ducks would not 

 abandon their old breeding place, but continued to pass out and 

 in as if no person had been near. The male usually perched pn 

 an adjoining limb, and kept watch while the female was laying; 

 and also often while she was sitting. A tame goose had chosen a 

 hollow space at the root of the same tree, to lay and hatch her 

 young in. 



The Summer Duck seldom flies in flocks of more than three 

 or four individuals together, and most commonly in pairs, or singly. 

 The common note of the drake is peet^ peet ; but, when standing 



