Lophodytes cucullatus. Maine (Lake Umbagog). 1876. June 3. While looking for Duck's nests at the Outlet I discovered a promising-looking hole and paddling to the spot struck the tree with the handle of my paddle. At the first blow a vigorous scratching sound began inside, and the next moment a Duck's head appeared in the opening: then, after a short struggle, her toes lapped over the lower edge and she launched into the air. I shot at her as she went off and marking her lowering flight followed and finally found her floating dead on the water. Returning to the stub my guide began to climb it when, to our surprise, another scratching was heard and a second Duck appeared, I fired but unfortunately failed to kill it. Feeling sure of a set of eggs my guide continued his ascent but upon reaching the hole and thrusting in his arm he found only emptiness or more literally, a large cavity with the bottom covered with damp rotten wood. A subsequent examination of the bird also showed that she would not have laid for a week or ten days. The hole, which undoubtedly had been selected as a nesting place, was a natural cavity entering the side of the tree at the height of about fifteen feet above the water and descending about three feet. The entrance had a diameter of about ten inches. Whether the second bird was a male or not is doubtful. It certainly looked nearly like the first both as it came out and as it flew off.