The Audubon Societies 



79 





NEST AND XFWT.^'-TT ATrTTF.D PINTAILS 



and came upon a female Redhead with 

 nineteen downy ducklings. We rowed hard 

 to catch up with her. When mthin thirty 

 feet, she went flapping over the surface, 

 followed by her young. We followed, and 

 finally separated the old bird from a part 

 of her brood. As soon as they lost their 

 leader, the ducklings seemed fearless, and 

 apparentl)^ were more hungry than afraid. 

 We approached in the boat to within a few 

 feet of them, but they kept paddling along, 

 diving for bugs and flies as they went. 



Nearby I saw a Canada Goose and a 

 band of goslings swimming out in the 

 middle of the river. I made for her as fast 

 as I could row, as I wanted to get a picture. 

 When I came up within ten yards, the 

 mother set out, flapping and splashing 

 over the water, followed by her brood. I 

 headed her off from the east bank, where 

 I knew she would glide through the tules 

 and soon be lost in the great marsh beyond. 

 She started straight up the river and two 

 of the goslings followed, but the rest dove. 

 They came up on all sides, but not one 

 with head high in the air as before. Each 

 bird lay flat on the surface with his back 

 low, and nothing visible to the eye save a 

 wedge cutting the water, and leaving but 



a slight ripple in the rear. I headed off one 

 youngster. Upon seeing that he was pur- 

 sued, he raised his head and paddled for 

 dear life. "I'll run him down," I thought. 

 He dove, and came up in another direction. 

 I was right after him. He kept diving, and 

 each time he went in a different direction. 

 In time I was nearly exhausted, but his 

 dives were getting shorter and I would 

 soon catch him. In working back and forth 

 he had pushed me prettj^ well over to the 

 bank, but I had him headed off. Suddenly 

 he took breath for a longer dive, and went 

 clear under the boat, coming up at the edge 

 of the tules, and in an instant was gone. 

 I was completely outgeneraled, and by 

 that time every other bird had disappeared- 



South Carolina Audubon Society 



The South Carolina Audubon Society^ 

 which has been somewhat inactive for the 

 past two years, was reorganized in Colum- 

 bia on December i6, 1914, when Frank 

 Hampton was elected president, and Miss- 

 Belle Williams, Secretary. The Society 

 intends to take immediate steps for greatly 

 increasing its membership and educational 

 activities. 



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b EGGS OF A PINTAIL 



