95 
TUlv CONDOR 
July, icjoi 1 
An Exceptional Set of Eggs of the Wood 
Duck. 
O NK of the prettiest spots in San 
Joaquin County is located in the 
extreme north-west portion of 
the county and is known as “Forest 
Lake.” Previous to last year I had 
never visited the lake and as the name 
seemed to suggest a likely place for 
birds, I inquired of the farmers living in 
the vicinity as to the prospects of find- 
ing ducks breeding there and was in- 
formed by all that this wms a favorite 
haunt of the Wood Duck. (. 9 ?.r spoiisa.') 
I therefore determined on a trip to 
the place and April 29, 1900, in com- 
pany with my brother and a friend, we 
started from Lodi on our wheels about 
5.30 A. >1. and reached the lake about 
8.30 A. >1. Dismounting we immediate- 
ly strapped on our baskets, arranged 
the other necessary ccllecting apparatus 
and started along the north side of the 
lake, keeping a sharp lookout for any 
suggestion of a nest. 
We had not proceeded far before a 
male Wood Duck arose from the water’s 
edge and beat a hasty retreat. Think- 
ing that his nest might be in the vicin- 
ity we began a thorough search and 
were soon rewarded by finding the nest 
located in a deserted home of a Red- 
shafted Flicker and placed about 
twenty-five feet up in a white oak 
tree. The tree was quite large but 
after a difficult climb my brother reach- 
ed the opening and inserting his hand 
drew the female bird from the nest. 
He informed us that the ne.st was full 
of eggs, which fact was made very 
evident after he had taken out twenty- 
one eggs and landed them safely on 
terra /inua. 
The number of eggs iu the set led me 
to believe that the nest was occupied 
by two pairs of birds, but after a thor- 
ough search of the lake I failed to find 
but one pair, notwithstanding the fact 
that I had been informed that the birds 
were quite numerous in the locality. 
However I was well pleased with my 
prize and after taking several sets of 
Swainson’s Hawk {Biiico swainsoni) 
started homeward. 
1 now have the eggs before me and 
my belief in the double occupancy of 
the nest is made stronger by the fact 
that nine of the twenty-one eggs are 
somewhat darker in color than the re- 
maining twelve and are also, as a whole, 
slightly larger, as the following meas- 
urements will show 2,06x1.50:2.12x1.50: 
1.93x1.56: 1.93x1.50: 1.93x1.50: 1.93x1,- 
50: 2,06x1.50: 2.03x1.47: 2.00x1.56: 2.- 
00x1.56: 1.87x1.43: 1.93x1.47: 2.00x1.50: 
1.93x1.47: 2.00x1.47: 2.00x1.50: 1.93x1.- 
50: 2.00x1.50: 1.93x1.50: 1.93x1.47: and 
1.93x1.43. Taken in their order, the 
first nine measurements are those of the 
dark colored eggs while the remaining 
twelve are of the light color. 
Incubation had already commenced 
in four of the dark colored eggs and in 
six of the light color, thus showing that 
they must have been laid by the same 
bird or by two birds occupying the nest 
at the same time. Had incubation been 
more advanced in one color than in the 
other, I would have been led to believe 
that the pair of birds found in posses- 
sion of the nest must have driven the 
first pair away and continued adding to 
the number of eggs already in the nest, 
but the state of incubation in the two 
colors has shown that such could not be 
the case. 
.\fter considering all the points in 
favor of the theory of two pair of birds 
occupjdng the nest at the same time, it 
seems tome that they are stronger than 
those in favor of one pair of birds, as 
the best point for the latter theory is 
the lack of another pair of birds in the 
vicinity, while the number of eggs in 
the set and the difference in color and 
size are certainly good points in favor of 
the former. 
This is the first instance 1 have had 
brought to my notice of a decided dif- 
ference in color and size of a large set 
of eggs of the Wood Duck and may 
only be in this case a freak set. How- 
ever I would like to hear further notes 
on this subject from other members of 
the Cooper Club. 
Stocktofi, Cal. Walter B. Sampson. 
