often quite a distance from the water. They are made of
grass, and weeds, etc., and lined with down. In Colorado under a sage
brush, a nest was found which had been scooped in the sand and lined
warmly with down evidently taken from the bird's own breast, which was
plucked nearly bare. This nest contained ten eggs.

The number of eggs, of a pale buff color, is usually from eight to
twelve, though frequently sixteen or eighteen have been found. It is far
more prolific than any of the Ducks resorting to Hudson's Bay, and Mr.
Hearn says he has seen the old ones swimming at the head of seventeen
young when the latter were not much larger than walnuts.

In autumn the males usually keep in separate flocks from the females and
young. Their notes are faint and piping and their wings make a loud
whistling during flight.

[Illustration: From col. Chi. Acad. Sciences.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
Copyrighted by
Nature Study Pub. Co., 1897, Chicago.]

THE BLACK GROUSE.

Alone on English moors I've seen the Black Cock stray,
Sounding his earnest love-note on the air.
--ANON.

Well known as the Black Cock is supposed to be, we fancy few of our
readers have ever seen a specimen. It is a native of the more southern
countries of Europe, and still survives in many portions of the British
Islands, especially those localities where the pine woods and heaths
afford it shelter, and it is not driven away by the presence of human
habitation.

The male bird is known to resort at the beginning of the nesting season
to some open spot, where he utters his love calls, and displays his new
dress to the greatest advantage, for the purpose of attracting as many
females as may be willing to consort with him. His note when thus
engaged is loud and resonant, and can be heard at a considerable
distance. This crowing sound is accompanied by a harsh, grating,
stridulous kind of cry which has been compared to the noise produced by
whetting a scythe. The Black Cock does not pair, but leaves his numerous
mates to the duties of maternity and follows his own desires while they
prepare their nests, lay their eggs, hatch them, and bring up the young.
The mother bird, however, is a fond, watchful parent, and when she has
been alarmed by man or a prowling beast, has been known to remove her
eggs to some other locality, where she thinks they will not be