GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEYS WEST OF 100TH MERIDIAN. 325 
Branta Scopoli. 
B. canadensin (L.). Canada Goose. 
The extensive lakes of Western Nevada, Eastern California, and Oregon, afford sum¬ 
mer haunts for many of the Canada geese, or honkers, as they are popularly called, 
to distinguish them from the smaller Hutchins’ goose and the “ speckle bellies,” neither 
of which birds remain in summer within our boundaries. 
The nesting season of the Canada goose is well nigh over ere others of the feathered 
tribe, save perhaps some of the Raptores, are thinking of beginning, and the deposi¬ 
tion of the eggs takes place in this region as early as February. Their mode of nest¬ 
ing is various. At Pyramid Lake the islands are extremely rocky, and here the 
geese build either under bushes along shore or resort to spaces underneath over¬ 
hanging cliffs, or even to hollows in the rocks that form slight caves. Another and 
perhaps the most usual location for the nest is on the sandy spits of islands. The 
wariness which characterizes this goose, as to a less extent the other members 
of the family, undergoes no relaxation at this season, but, if anything, is increased. 
The spot selected to receive the eggs must be secure from all chance of intrusion— 
hence their partiality for islands; and as soon as the young are able to take to the 
water they are guided to some safe feeding ground, usually in the shallow water 
along some solitary shore. This care is rendered the more necessary, inasmuch as a 
long period must elapse for the young to receive their full powers, and they obtain 
nearly the size of the old birds ere their pinions are sufficiently developed to raise 
them from the water. Not infrequently, when riding along the rarely-visited shores 
of the lakes in the remoter districts, our parties have come suddenly upon these 
families of half-grown goslings, but rarely indeed ere the watchful parent had caught 
the alarm and bad urged her convoy to a safe distance from the shore. Their food 
is now obtained wholly from the water, and not until the young have passed quite 
out of the gosling stage and have become fully developed in every respect do old 
and young assemble into flocks or “ gaggles,” and their visits to the stubble fields 
and pastures begin. 
The birds that breed in this region start southward at a period nearly coincident 
with or a little before the arrival of the full flocks from more northern grounds. Just 
prior to setting out they are in the best condition, being fat and juicy from their min¬ 
gled fare of grain and teuder grass shoots. 
Anas Linnaeus. 
A. boschas (L.). Mallard. 
One of the best known, as also one of the most highly esteemed, of all our ducks, its 
extensive range and great abundance wherever found, entitles the mallard to a place 
in the front rank of our valuable food-birds. In the West, as a table bird, it takes 
precedence, I think, of all others, its very general habit there of feeding upon grain 
for a part of the year conducing to its excellence of flavor. 
In the region our report covers it is very numerous, not only during the migrations, 
but also in summer, when large numbers remain to breed about the various lakes. 
For this purpose it resorts to precisely the same localities as the red-breasted teal, 
viz, the partially submerged marshes; although, in truth, but little change of local¬ 
ity is in case of either of these birds necessary, since their tastes lead to the choice of 
similar places all the year round. So much alike, in fact, are their habits of nidifica- 
tion that during a day’s hunt I have found many nests of the mallard alternating with 
those of the teal, and in many instances the nests of the two were but a few feet 
apart. 
The mallard begins to lay during the last days of April and the early part of May, 
and by the 23d of the latter month I found several nests in which the eggs were far 
advanced, while in one the ducklings had appeared. 
The mallards place their nests much as do the teals, but are, perhaps, more inclined 
to seek out standing tufts of dried rushes, doubtless because in them they can more 
readily conceal their bulkier bodies; at the base of these they have no difficulty in 
forming a safe and commodious retreat. At first, and in the majority of cases, little 
attention is paid to the nest proper, and a slight collection of dried rushes and grass, 
sufficiently hollowed to contain the eggs and the body of the bird, is all that is re¬ 
quired. The lining of soft down, plucked from the breast and belly of the devoted 
female, is deferred till later, it rarely being found till the complement is nearly com¬ 
pleted, and it more frequently still being left until the eggs have been incubated for 
a considerable period. 
I have never found more than ten eggs in a nest, though I have seen broods of eleven 
under convoy of the parents, and perhaps the full dozen are sometimes laid. 
When disturbed the mallard rises heavily from its nest, its fright occasionally com¬ 
pelling a volley of loud quacks, while at other times it flies away in perfect silence. In 
