



L^ 



THE OTTAWA NATURALIST. 



Vol. XVII. OTTAWA, JANUARY, 1904. No. 



10 



REMARKS ON SOME MARSH DWELLERS. 



By Lkwis M. Terrili., Montreal. 



(Read before tlie Mcllwaith Ornitho'og-ical Club.) 



Not having previously had access to a locality suitable for 



the study o'i waterfowl, on June 6th, 1903, I decided to visit the 



marshes in Lake St. Francis, near Summerstown, Ont., about 



forty miles from Montreal. 



Durino; our drive from the station to the lake shore my friend 

 pointed out a former nesting site of the sparrow hawk, a scarce 

 summer resident in Montreal. Arrived at the lake, we had a 

 short row to Stanley Island, where we found excellent accommo- 

 dation at the Algonquin Hotel. 



The waning light now warned us that we had barely time 

 for a short survey of the island, and during our walk we noticed 

 where a kingfisher had burrowed in the crumbling bank, while 

 later, when darkness had fallen, we flushed a bobolink from its 

 nest and eggs. Owing to continued drought, the cover afforded 

 ground birds was very scant and this particular bird, ignoring 

 concealment, had built her nest flush with the ground amongst 

 last year's stubbie, trusting to protective coloration, which was 

 aided by the eggs being conveniently of a grayish appearance in 

 place of the usual rich brown. 



Before five o'clock next morning we were well on our wav 

 toward the nearest shallows, the chucking of gallinules our guide 

 through the lifting mists. Arrived at the first marsh, distant 

 one-half mile from the mainland, we took our first plunge, dis- 

 pelling any lingering drowsiness and startling a pair of gallinules 

 into hurried flight. A shallow platform of dead rushes fastened 

 to reed stalks and elevated several inches from water level, was 



