Anas obsoura. 
Lake Umbagog, Maine. 
1897. There is evidently a Black Buck's nest on the small is- 
May 21. land at the eastern end of the channel that leads into Sweat' 
* 
Cove not 80 yards from our anchorage. We saw the Back fly 
directly o\it of the woods this afternoon. Presently her mate 
joined her and the two fed together almost within gunshot of 
of the boat. Half-an-hour later the Buck flew back to the 
island. We shall investigate to-morrow. 
May 22. Just before breakfast this morning we saw the pair of 
Black Bucks again swimming together close in shore near the 
little island at the eastern entrance to Great Island channel 
An hour later we landed on this island and searched it syste¬ 
matically and as we supposed thoroughly but without finding 
anything save an old nest of a Water Thrush. On the way back 
to the boat, however, and within a few yards of it I noticed 
an isolated patch of rather scanty yew which we had passed by 
on first landing. Turning aside to examine it I suddenly saw 
one of the branches move slightly and a long dark neck was 
thrust up within ten or twelve feet of where I stood. The 
next instant a Black Buck rose with a prodigious flutter and 
loud quacking and went out through the trees and off over the 
Cove. Without moving from my position I could see the eggs 
through the thin curtain or rather canopy of yew foliage. 
There were thirteen of them none of them in the least covered 
