THE GADWALL.
This bird is only known to nest in one or two places in Norfolk. It has been my pleasure to examine two nests—one situated amongst rough, dead grass, and the other in a tuft of rushes—in each case quite close to the water. The nest is made of dry grass, rushes, or withered leaves, and lined with beautiful soft down. From eight to twelve or thirteen creamy-white eggs are laid.
THE TUFTED DUCK.
This member of the Duck family selects the neatest and best concealed situation of all. It is generally well hidden in a tussock of rushes growing in or close to the water of a mere or pond. The nest is made of dead rushes, grass, or reeds, and is lined with small dark pieces of down, with whitish centres. The eggs are light greenish-buff in colour, and number from eight to ten, or even thirteen. They are very similar to those of the Pochard, but the down tufts in the nest are darker.
THE STONE CURLEW.
Found on stony, arable land, commons, and rough, bare pastures. I have watched the bird through my binoculars, when put off her eggs, fly to some distance and remain quite flat upon the ground, with which she closely harmonises. The nest is a mere unlined hollow, with sometimes a few bents in it, which may as easily as not have been blown there. Her eggs number two, of light buffish to clay-brown ground colour, blotched and spotted with blackish-brown and grey. I have noticed that one egg in a nest will differ radically in the size and intensity of its markings from the others.