190 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIII 
Several nests were found far back on the dry prairie and high above the high- 
water mark, one being almost a mile from the lake. These nests were usually well 
concealed in the weeds, and were warmly lined with down of a somewhat darker 
shade than that found in the teals’ nests. The birds were close sitters, often 
allowing us almost to step upon them before taking wing. The generous lining of 
down which wms found in nearly all the nests was almost invariably used to cover 
the eggs during the absence of the parent, and many nests that had little or no 
concealment were difficult to locate after having been cunningly concealed by the 
mother duck, even though we knew almost the exact location. The bulky mass of 
down wms pushed outward and upward when the bird was on the nest until it 
came well up about her body, but this very thing made the nests much more con- 
spicuous when the birds were flushed unexpectedly, without sufficient time to 
Fig. 62. MIXED NEST CONTAINING FIVE EGGS OF RUDDY AND FIVE OF REDHEAD 
cover the eggs. One typical nest was found May 31, 1908 deeply sunk in a dense 
growth of very tall, rank grass on a small island in the lake, which would not have 
been discovered >but for this fact. 
On June 8, 1907 a nest was found under a spreading bunch of alfalfa on a 
small ridge in alow marshy meadow. On June 22, it contained nine eggs. The 
brooding female was unusually tame, and repeated attempts were made to photograph 
her, several of which were nearly successful. June 29 the female was still incu- 
bating but the nest contained only five eggs. The next day we found it occupied 
by a bull snake three feet nine inches in length, which had just swallowed an egg, 
only two of which now remained in the nest. It took the snake some time to force 
the unbroken egg (which was somewhat larger than its own body) down its 
throat about three inches, and it was regurgitated instantly upon our touching the 
