Clangula clangula americana. Maine (Lake Umbagog). 1880. June 1. Set C-11. Eggs far advanced; nest in a natural cavity entering the end of a large broken branch of al- elm stub and descended about three feet; entrance twelve inches in diameter. Upon rapping at the base of the stub we immediately heard a Duck's claws rattling against the trunk inside and presently a female whist- ler appeared at the entrance and immediately took wing, croaking like the Hooded Merganser as she went off. (a white egg in this set is probably that of L. cuneatus ) ( June 1) The cavity contained eleven eggs and one Hooded Mergan- ers, all laid on the rotten wood at the bottom with a very little of the birds down; height twenty feet. " 17. A female with brood of young at least three weeks old, near the mouth of Cambridge River; the little fol- lows ran on the surface like Sheldrake, then separated and drove so adroitly that we could not catch one of them. 1881. May 20. Set F-8. Incubated three or four days. Nest in elm stub standing in the water near the Outlet; hole a natural one where a limb had rotted out; it entered on the side of the tree and descended about five feet. The eggs were laid on the rotten wood, and, as usual, were completely buried in down. The female flew from the hole when we were fifty yards away although we were mak- ing but little noise. " " Set F-7. Incubated three or four days. Nest in hole in live red maple which stood in the water within fifty yards of the nest just described. The hole was similar in character and descended about four feet. Some of the Duck's down clung to the wood about the en- trance which was worn very smooth. Eggs so completely buried in down that not one was visible when we looked in on the nest. The bird sat closer than the last but came out when we struck the tree. She started to fly very clumsily descending nearly to the water. The en- trance hole was about ten feet above the water, on the west side of the tree; so far as I have observed the Whistler is the only Duck which will come out of its nest before the climber begins to ascend the tree. 1882. Oct. 8-22. Common; towards the close of out stay they percepti- bly increased in numbers. Very shy.