. Nests and eggs of Australian birds, including the geographical distribution of the species and popular observations thereon . abdomens. Dvunng a memorable trip I made Through a Riverina, Flood. withMr. J. Gabriel and the Ma<aulay Brothers, our fii-st find was a WcwidDucks nest. It was in the liollow part of a red gimi, standing in afloodcfl creek. One of our party temporarily turned Iiimself into a mem-ber of the Natatores tribe by entering the water, then, ascending thetree, secured a full clutch of eleven eggs and a quantity of thebirds down (see illustration). Tht eggs were much incuba
. Nests and eggs of Australian birds, including the geographical distribution of the species and popular observations thereon . abdomens. Dvunng a memorable trip I made Through a Riverina, Flood. withMr. J. Gabriel and the Ma<aulay Brothers, our fii-st find was a WcwidDucks nest. It was in the liollow part of a red gimi, standing in afloodcfl creek. One of our party temporarily turned Iiimself into a mem-ber of the Natatores tribe by entering the water, then, ascending thetree, secured a full clutch of eleven eggs and a quantity of thebirds down (see illustration). Tht eggs were much incubated.—Date,8tii September, 1894. Previously I had described eggs from (oomooboolaroo (Q.) ; alsoa pair from a, clutch of nine taken by Mr. A. Watson, a teacher, wlio gotthem from a dead red gum, steinding in a lagoon near S<ilc, was a considerable quantity of light^coloiucd down suiroundingtlie eggs, which were three feet or four feet from the entrance of liiespout. A brief note from Mr. llennann Laus (Queensland) MS. statestiiat the Wood Duck invariably breeds in I lie liollow of a tree, some- Y^f^^^^. TAKING A WOOD DUCKS NEST Ftom a photo by the Author. NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 1025 times at tlie lieight of tliii-ty feet. When the yoiuig are hatclied, themother takes them in her bill, placing them one after another betweenher shoulder and neck, and so descends to the gi-oiuid. If siu-prised, theparents fly away, feigning lameness, itc, while the young hide. I agreewith Mr. Lau when he states the Duek takes the young in her billin order to convey them to the ground ; but I hardly think it possiblefor her to raiTy them between her shoiildur and neck. Ms. Lau, Ifeai-, has been duped into believing the plansiljlc bush yam that Duckscarry their young on their back. They certainly do so sometimes, wlic^na family aie pla3-ing together in the water. Wood Ducks are amongst the earliest of breedeis. Ihe yotuig arcout and swimming when other Ducks are only
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdsne, bookyear1901
