THE WILDERNESS IN JUNE 2fM 



and is becoming scarce even in remote regions. 

 It is somewhat smaller than the Ruffed Course, 

 with plumage much darker. The male has a 

 bright red line over the eye. On the up-river 

 trail one day I came upon a flock of these birds 

 so tame as to appear very stupid. Not until I 

 switched them with the stick in my hand did 

 they show any desire to move away, and then 

 they hopped into the low branches of the trees 

 bordering the trail, still stupidly eyeing me. 



Indian Joe tells me that the Spruce Partridge 

 drums only when on the wing while descending 

 from some high perch to the ground. This I am 

 not able to verify from personal observation, 

 but Mr. Knight, in "Birds of Maine," speaks 

 of this habit. 



Part III 



'Just a day on Nature's heart. 



Van Dyke. 



To the northwest of the clearing some three 

 miles as the Ducks fly, farther by the well de- 

 fined woodland trail which leads across the 

 shoulder of Big Indian, is a clear blue lake in 

 whose unruffled surface are mirrored the mas- 

 sive forms of Big Elephant and Baker, which 

 like stem dark sentinels guard this wilderness 

 gem in its setting of unbroken forest. Its shape 

 has given it the name of Horseshoe Lake, and 

 the few who have penetrated to its peaceful soli- 

 tude, know it as the abiding place of many 

 richly colored trout of goodly size that rise 

 eagerly at all hours of the day, in sunshine and 



