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 128 THE CONDOR Vol. XIII' attention from her charges, while the youngsters, instead of- scurrying to shelter seemed rather to enjoy the anxiety of the mother and the excitement of our in- trusion. The young birds learn to fly very slowly, and the shameful slaughter of "flappers" (as the young are called when unable to fly) upBn the opening of the hunting season September 10, is another testimonial of the legislative farce of game laws framed by politicians. CINNAMON TEAL (Querquedula cyatopt'era) Owing to the strong resemblance between females of the Blue-wing and Cinna- mon Teal, and the rapidity with which they left the nests when flushed, it was extremely difficult to identify the birds as they took flight. We were consequently much handicapped in our study of the Cinnamou Teal, and the total number of nests positively identified as belonging to this species was only four, although we undoubtedly examined many others belonging to this species without being able to identify the parent beyond doubt. This small amount of data is altogether insufficient to warrant any general statements, but in the four nests examined we were unable to detect any radical departures from the habits already attributed to the Blue-wings except that two of the four nests were in very wet locations, where the eggs were in constant .danger of becoming damp. These two nests were practically devoid of the downy lining while the other two nests, which were built in perfectly dry locations were warmly lined with down. The handsomest nest of the four, which was one of the nests on wet ground, was figured in the CONDOR (Vol. XI no. 4, page 112.) and contrasts sharply with the one shown in the accompanying cut, which is one of those in a dry location. One of the nests was on dry prairie fully one hundred feet back from the shore of the lake amid a fairly thick growth of weeds and grass. This nest which was found May 30, 1908, was well built and warm!y lined with dawn, and the bird was quite fearless. We watched the nest closely and on June 19 were sur- prised to find that seven of the young birds had pecked through the shell, but had died before clearing the shell around their heads. The other four eggs contained perfectly formed dead embryos which had not begun to pip the shells. The male birds, however, in their brilliant cinnamon doats were very conspicu- ous and we were occasionally able, through their actions, to connect them with the nests we had under examination. Male Cinnamon Teal were common throughout May and continued to increase in number until June first, and during this month they were seen in large numbers. In fact we arrived at the conclusion that they were breeding throughout the Barr district in probably half the numbers that the Blue-wings were, and we regretted exceedingly that the peculiar resemblance between the two species prevented us from gathering sufficient information to establish any peculiarities in nesting habits that might exist, but this would only have been possible by collecting an extensive series of the birds as they flushed from the nests; a proceeding which we considered altogether unwarranted.