. Birds and nature . ing sufficientconcealment for the nest and eggs. Inthis region during the latter part of Junean average of twenty ducks nests werefound upon each of a group of severalsmall islands. The nests contained sixto twelve eggs each and two-fifths ofthese were products of the Lesser Scaup,the remainder being deposited princi-pally by the baldpate and gadwall, withan occasional set of shoveller ducksamong them. Seven to twelve eggs are laid by theLesser Scaup in this locality, which isthe southern limit of their breedingrange, but in the far north seven or eightis the maximum, numb
. Birds and nature . ing sufficientconcealment for the nest and eggs. Inthis region during the latter part of Junean average of twenty ducks nests werefound upon each of a group of severalsmall islands. The nests contained sixto twelve eggs each and two-fifths ofthese were products of the Lesser Scaup,the remainder being deposited princi-pally by the baldpate and gadwall, withan occasional set of shoveller ducksamong them. Seven to twelve eggs are laid by theLesser Scaup in this locality, which isthe southern limit of their breedingrange, but in the far north seven or eightis the maximum, number laid. When nesting in the sloughs, a damp(but not wet) situation is chosen. Thepale olive or ashy green eggs are wellsurrounded by down and are generallyprotected by dead clumps of marsh grass,rushes or low shrubbery. The eggs areelliptical in shape with a smooth, glossysurface; the average size is two andtwenty-five hundredths inches in lengthby one and fifty-eight hundredths inchesin breadth. Gerard Alan THE AUNT JANE STORIES. II. THE PLUMAGE OF BIRDS. The children were returning from thebird fanciers where they had just pur-chased a canary, and Aunt Jane hadpromised to tell them something aboutthe plumage of birds, during the home-ward drive; so after the enthusiasmover the beautiful plumage of the newcanary had subsided a little, Aunt Janebegan. Who has fathomed the phil-osophy of a birds wing or mastered thescience of its infinite variety of plumage ?The formation of a feather is a mar-velous performance of nature . The barb,the web, the color are all exquisite speci-mens qf handiwork which art fails tosurpass or even to equal. Is it true. Auntie, Howard asked,that at certain seasons there are birdswho put on a special dress ? Yes indeed, there are male birds whoat mating-time assume a distinctiveplumage as if desirous to appear in awedding garment that by its beauty willrender them particularly attractive totheir mates. Do give us some examples, criedEdith, un
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