4 Clangula clangula americana. Lake Umbagog, Maine. 1897. instant on reaching the mouth of the hole but the greater num- June 8. ber toppled out over the edge as soon as they appeared. All used their tiny wings freely beating them continuously as they descended. They did not seem to strike the water with much force. While this was going on the old Duck sat motionless on the water looking up at the nest. When the last duckling dropped at her side she at once swam off at the head of the brood quickly disappearing in a flooded thicket a few rods a- way. In connection with my own observations I should have no- ted that after the old bird entered the hole two other female Whistlers flew several times over and around me and one of them at length alighted on the water swimming up close to the stub and looking at it intently as if she too had some inter- est in it. On several former occasions, moreover, we have found from two to four female Whistlers hanging about this nest and the same thing occurred at the nest on Tidswell's point as well as near that at Bottle Brook Pond. These facts lead me to believe that two or three birds not infrequently lay their eggs in the same nest. We know that Whistlers and Mergansers sometimes do this and I see no reason for doubting that the Whistlers take the same liberty with one another. Probably all sets of over ten or twelve eggs are thus 37