156 The Ottawa Naturalist. [October 



When at KiUarney we learned why the Ontario Government 

 have imposed a fine of $20 upon anyone convicted of killing- a 

 «^ull. Along- the shores of Georg-ian Bay the fishermen are pro- 

 hibited from throwing- refuse into the water. All the offal left 

 from a " clean-up" of the fish is dumped into barrels placed along 

 the shore, where it is speedily devoured by the numerous g-ulls 

 and the almost equally numerous ravens, which are ready to dis- 

 pute title to the dainty feast. These two birds form the natural 

 scaveng-ers to this region, and doubtless are to be credited with 

 helping: to preserve the splendid fisheries around Georg-ian Bay. 



We stayed just long- enoug-h at Killarney to change travelling 

 for camping suits, to rent a large birch bark canoe, and to engage 

 a small steam launch to tow us, with our impedimenta, five miles 

 out into a cove on the northwest shore of Killarney bay. Here 

 we pitched our tent on a portage path leading back to an inland 

 marsh, and prepared to spend our first night in this pleasing soli- 

 tude. Whist ! What was that ? A wild duck ! But our guns 

 were not at hand, so we couldn't determine the variety. As we 

 lay around the camp-fire that night, our voices subdued almost to 

 a whisper by the impressive silence of the forest, suddenly a shrill, 

 weird cry just above our heads nearly froze the blood in our veins. 

 It was the cry of a loon coming into our cove, but we scarcely 

 knew how to interpret it. Was it a laugh or a wail ? We de- 

 bated the question, and concluded that much depended on the 

 mood of the listener. More loons passing over our camp wakened 

 us in the morning. Alter breakfast, and the more difficult task of 

 dish washing, we strolled over the trail into wooded gollies and 

 up ascending tei races of quartzite rock. Who knocked just then ? 

 We looked in the direction, when lo ! I caught my first glimpse 

 of the pileated woodpecker. It was but a moment, then came a 

 flash of red and black in the sunlight, and he was gone. We fol- 

 lowed in his direction, but our pursuit was in vain. We tramped 

 all forenoon, but one or two golden-winged woodpeckers, con- 

 scious of intruders, were the only other feathery friends we 

 chanced to meet. 



Whilst trolling down the bay in the afternoon a wild-duck 

 passed us again. This time we felt sure it xyas a wood-duck, and 



