Jan., 1884.] 
AND OOLOGIST, 
3 
Jeert noticed in tlie county, but T'have not 
lieHrd of any nests being foffnd. A few 
nestsNff this bird were found here several 
years ago, but we caja'fonly class them as 
casual visitors, vmM more certain evidence 
of their nestffigis obtained. 
The cojl^ctor^ of the county all com- 
plain or having h&4 poor success this sea- 
sopS—W. S. M., IlNg Chester , Pa. 
N 
The Wood or Summer Duck. 
This is considered the most beautiful 
of the many species of Ducks in the 
United States. 
It is well known for the brilliant color- 
ing and metallic lustre of its feathers, and 
abundant wherever there are fresh water 
ponds and streams. 
The birds are shy, and it is not often 
they can be observed very closely. We 
once surprised a flock of about twenty-five, 
when gunning in New Jersey. Rowing up 
the stream, we came, about daylight, to a 
sharp bend, where bushes hid our ap- 
proach. The flock were on their feeding 
grounds, and, though not fifty feet from 
our boat, did not appear to notice us. 
It was in the Fall of the year, the birds 
were mostly young. For several minutes 
we watched them washing and pluming, 
diving and feeding, and then spinning 
around like downy balls on the water, ut- 
tering at times their peculiar notes. 
The plumage of the birds, old and 
young, was not so brilliant as it would 
have been in the Spring, when they are 
decked out in their almost gorgeous uni- 
form. 
It is not often they are caught in this 
way. After having watched them suffic- 
iently, it took but a second to destroy the 
picture, as the two barrels of our gun 
rudely startled them. 
They come in the Spring, as soon as the 
ice is out of the ponds, and commence to 
build their nests in April. A hollow tree 
is their favorite spot, and well up in the 1 
tree. They sometimes will enter by what 
appears to be a very small hole in the 
trunk, and go down, four, or even six feet 
until they find a solid spot to build their 
nest upon. They carry some twigs or 
grass, and line the nest with a thick felt of 
their own down, which becomes so matted 
that the eggs can be lifted up in it as if it 
was a felt hat. We have never known any 
nests except in a hollow tree or stump. 
If the first nest is broken up, they will lay 
a second, and again, if that is robbed, a 
third time. 
The largest number of eggs found in a 
nest as stated by reliable parties is eight- 
een. Eleven to thirteen is the usual aver- 
age, and late nests (second or third) rare- 
ly have more than eight or nine. 
If the first nest is destroyed, they will 
not desert the neighborhood. A friend of 
ours found a nest on the Passaic River 
and took the eggs, but having pity on the 
old birds, he carried back a dozen of com- 
mon duck’s eggs as a fair exchange. The 
duck continued to sit until some one, see- 
ing the nest, carried off the eggs. In a 
few days, our friend was invited to see a 
brood of young Wood Ducks at a neigh- 
bors, who had built them a beautiful house 
and was very proud of his prize. Our 
friend said little, but smiled a grim smile 
as he told his neighbor that it would not 
be necessary to pinion the young ducks, 
as they would never go far. As they grew 
they developed into the most common of 
