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dnct. Since July 17th 1 have found many nest containing eggs of the larger 
ducks, tbat have been deserted* dost of these nests are floating among the 
tula grass In from one to three feet of water, aiwi as they are poorly con- 
structed and not being constantly built up, as with the coot, they settle 
the eggs sink tmder water* These nests have had from one to thirteen eggs In 
them* 1 believe, if conditions were more favorable and if there were no vei^ 
min to molest them, these nests would be on the shore* 1 find many nests in 
the sage brush well up on the hills, that appear to have been robbed in most 
every case* 
How, too, the ducks, since so many are moulting and do not fly but run 
over the surface of the water floi^ping their wings, they are misleading* One 
often thinks they havt< young or are young themselves, and, unless one is care- 
ful, there will result misleading records* in the rank tula grass around the 
lake are two great resting places for ducks* They have great beds of the grass 
beaten down, or most likely It has glown down, and thsre will be hundreds of 
them on this, which is generally back in brakes of the grass entirely surrounded* 
Some will fly out and away, others, that have very shaggy feathers, will run on 
the water or dive, and both, very often* Jost of thoso secured at such places 
are oiatured birds — adults that are merely moulting* 
There are many of the larger ducks here that 1 am sure have no young, 
although, doubtless, roost of them have laid* They stay in flocks, drifting 
about from place to place, at times 2 to 3 hundred together* The two eggs 
F-6/13 are samples of those found in nests with no sign of being oooupied* Vsiy 
lively my presence and constantly omising about has caused many to abandon their 
eggs* bhooting does not oother the coot and diving ducks and birds, but it does 
put most of the ducks on their wings* The large ducks here are all very wild* 
