Anas obscu ra. 
i 
Lake Umbagog, .Maine. 
1887 Watrous spent the forenoon along the eastern shores of 
May'24. the channel between Great Island and the Tidswell place and 
among the islands 3.E. of the Narrows. He found a Black 
Duck's nest near the south-east extremity of Bear Island. 
He took me to the nest in the afternoon. 
1 
Here is a condensed summary of the chief points of in¬ 
terest respecting the three nests of the Black Duck that we 
have found thus far. 
Nest found May 22 . Nest, 13 eggs, on top of knoll at E. 
end of small densely-wooded (chiefly with spruces, balsams and 
hemlocks) island at E. end of Great Island, north channel. 
At base of hemlock trunk near edge of bed of rather stunted 
and sparse yew by which both nest and eggs were well covered. 
Nest of leaves and down 11 in. across by 3 1/2 in. deep. When 
bird 
found May 22 the sitting rose at about 12 or 15 feet. After 
we had made her repeated visits she became much shyer, often 
rising as we were landing (at 20 yds. and out of her sight). 
She always rose straight up through the trees to a height of 
30 or 40 feet avoiding the branches as easily as a Partridge 
and quacking loudly. Usually she flew directly from the nest 
but once she a few yards first. We never found any of 
the eggs covered (perhaps this bird does not cover them when 
suddenly flushed). On the evening of the 21st and on the 
3H 
