. The Canadian field-naturalist. 324 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 88. Figure 1. Wooden nest box (Number 13) fastened to a flooded cedar. Photographed in June 1971 at Lac des Pins, Harrington, Quebec. feet (165 m) to 1,200 feet (366 m) above sea-level. The average soil type in the area is of the Ste. Agathe Series: fine sandy loam, with good drain- age, and excessively stony. Small be aver-flooded lakes and ponds bordered by trees constituted the breeding habitats. The eastern white pine {Pinus strobus), white spruce (Picea glauca), red spruce (Picea rubens), balsam fir (Abies balsamea),
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 324 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 88. Figure 1. Wooden nest box (Number 13) fastened to a flooded cedar. Photographed in June 1971 at Lac des Pins, Harrington, Quebec. feet (165 m) to 1,200 feet (366 m) above sea-level. The average soil type in the area is of the Ste. Agathe Series: fine sandy loam, with good drain- age, and excessively stony. Small be aver-flooded lakes and ponds bordered by trees constituted the breeding habitats. The eastern white pine {Pinus strobus), white spruce (Picea glauca), red spruce (Picea rubens), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), east- ern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), yellow birch {Betula alleghaniensis), white birch (Betula papyrifera), beech (Fagus grandifolia), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are common trees. Methods The nest boxes were fixed on metal posts and flooded trees, from 3 to 7 feet (1 to 2 m) above normal high-water levels, at least 35 feet (10 m) apart in most cases, and 7 to 125 feet (2 to 38 m) from shore. Predator guards were not used. The nest boxes were of two types: one, made of 1-inch-thick rough lumber, had a 10-inch-square floor and top with sides about 24 inches high (Fig- ure 1); the other, made of 10-inch galvanized stovepipe, about 24 inches high, was fitted with a conical metal top and a circular wooden floor (Fig- ure 2). The entrance in both models was 4 inches wide by 3 inches high. Small holes in the floor ensured good drainage. Hardware cloth, 16 inches by 3 inches, was placed inside the box, from the base of the entrance to the floor to ensure that the newly-hatched ducklings could easily climb out. About 4 inches of sawdust or wood shavings on the floor provided a nest base. In 1970 I checked all nest boxes at least once towards the beginning of incubation and once after the breeding season in early March, to determine the nesting success. In 1971, I investigated each box an average of five times, from laying of eggs until departure of the young. In 1972, I checked e
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