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[[underlined]] BREEDING WATERFOWL. [[/underlined]]

The number of breeding waterfowl on this mesa was very small a fact to be attributed probably to the lack of safe cover and to their constant disturbance by grazing stock. All shore vegetation of every character was eaten down to the ground so that the borders of the lakes all around were bare and open, devoid of all cover. In addition to this horses waded everywhere through the shallow lakes feeding on the rank growth of a grass that formed floating bogs in the water ([[underlined]] Panicularias? [[/underlined] see specimen 540), and on an Eleccharis that grew there likewise in abundance. There was one pair of Blue-winged Teal on Longlake and a pair of Ruddy Ducks on Be-e-Khet-hum-nez. Besides these I saw about 10 pairs of Mallards that seemed to be breeding. Part of these were on the three large lakes and the rest were found on small lakes in the woods. One brood of young Mallards a week old was seen and a female with young hidden in the grass observed in another locality. Besides these there were a few summering drake Mallards that probably had bred elsewhere. Twenty-six of these came in one evening to a small lake at my second camp and I estimated that there were about 50 on the mesa in all. In addition two male Blue-winged and one male Cinnamon Teal were seen on Long Lake. The Mallards were nearly all in eclipse plumage but the Teal had not yet molted.

Besides these ducks I found two pairs of Coots on Long Lake, 25 pairs on Be-e-Khet-hum-nez and 10 pairs on Black Lake. In addition there were 40 pairs of Eared Grebes on Be-e-Khet-hum-nez and 20 pairs on Black Lake. Three breeding pairs of Killdeer were encountered. No other water or marsh birds were seen. The lack of breeding Blackbirds was especially noticeable and is to be attributed perhaps to the scanty cover.