56 The Ottawa Naturalist. [November 



to frighten it back into the woods. It ran to the end of the field 

 and then crossed the road and went down over the hill side. Two 

 of the gunners came up and askeJ me where it had gone but I 

 merely said that it had crossed the road, upon which they went 

 down through the thick scrub some distance from where the deer 

 went in, and having no dogs I knew there was little fear of them 

 finding the quarry. Near Chelsea, in the cone-laden pines, squir- 

 rels were feasting upon the seeds, which they deftly extracted 

 from the long cones held upright like tapers before them. The 

 road here winds through a rich piece of woods, offering a welcome 

 shade to the way-farer in midsummer. Unfortunately the axe of 

 the woodman has already made considerable ravages among the 

 maples, beech and oaks. Some ledges of rock, faced with various 

 mosses and lichens and crested with a luxuriant growth of poly- 

 pody, suggested that a new locality might be found for the dainty 

 walking-fern. My quest extended some distance from the road, 

 but in vain. A large hawk was working among and over the trees 

 beyond and apparently made a kill, as it settled on a limb and 

 evidently tore its prey to p eces. The bird was so hidden by in- 

 tervening trees that the species could not be made out, but it 

 appeared to be dark above and very pale beneath. The squirrels 

 here were feasting on the fallen beech nuts, and bluejays with 

 brilliant plumage and ugly voices fluttered from place to place. 

 There were numerous juncos and occassional sparrows creeping 

 about among the fallen leaves, but the bluebirds, so abundant a 

 fortnight before had evidently departed. A partridge next flew 

 up from the road>.ide and sailed off with a noisy whirr of wings, 

 and while I strolled on slowly looking carefully around for any 

 others, I saw standing in a little glade about thirty yards from 

 the roadside a fine large doe, muvh larger than those previously 

 seen. It was standing broadside to me in full view, the trees 

 being scattered and leafless, and was calm!) coiitemj laiing me. 

 After looking at it for some minutes I decided to frighten it hack 

 into the bush as I knew if the hunters came along and saw it in 

 such an exposed po^ition its health might suffer. Waving my arms 

 did not disturb it and it viewed the waving of a coat with no more 

 sign of alarm. When I started to go ne irer through the rusilmg 

 leaves it soon cocked up its tail and bounded back over the ridge 



