Sept, 1914 
SURVEY OF breeding GROUNDS OF DUCKS 
229 
Shore-birds. — Two or three pairs of Avocets {Becurvirostra americana) 
were seen and one nest was found. This was placed in the middle of a grassy 
island. Killdeer {Oxyechus vociferus) were common nesters in the vicinity, and 
a man reported that he had seen several downy young. Around one pond 
'were about fifteen Stilts which behaved as though nesting. 
TULE LAKE, OREGON AND CALIFORNIA 
Tule Lake is surrounded by lava beds, and lacks the needed growth of 
vegetation on its shores to make it a favorable nesting ground for ducks. 
Along the north shore, near the mouth of Lost River, in Oregon, there is some 
marsh land and a good growth of tules; but on the other sides of the lake 
sage-covered lava hills rise abruptly from the water’s edge. Even under such 
circumstances. Mallards are reported to nest, selecting sites out in the sage 
brush away from water. While in this locality, June 1 to 3, we camped on 
Fig. 68. Nest of Redhead containing six eggs of this duck and 
ONE EGG OF THE Ruddy Duck {EHsmatura jamaicensis) ; Tule 
Lake, Okegon; June 2, 1914. 
Colwell’s ranch near Merrill, Oregon, at the mouth of Lost River. Prom this 
point we were able to work the north shore in Oregon and the west shore over 
the line in California. 
Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard. Numbers of Mallards undoubtedly breed 
along the northern shore. Several lone males and a few pairs were seen, but 
no nests or young were found. 
Marila americana. Redhead. In this vicinity Redheads appeared to be 
more common than Mallards. Flocks of seven to ten were often observed in 
open places between the tules. A nest newly constructed of green tules con- 
tained no eggs; but several feathers in it were certainly those of a Redhead. 
On June 2 we found a Coot’s nest which contained a set of eight eggs of the 
Coot and one egg of the Redhead (see fig. 67). On the same day we found a 
nest of a Redhead with six eggs of this duck and one egg of the Ruddy (see 
fig. 68). The nest was a platform of dried last-year’s bulrushes fixed among 
