152 



THE OOLOGIST. 



swamps all day and not feel well re- 

 warded by finding the nest of the 

 "Squawk" or American Bittern bidden 

 among the flags? I remember with 

 what pleasure I landed my first "dog- 

 fish," and though utterly worthless for 

 use as food, I persisted in carrying it to 

 camp to display as an evidence of my 

 success. Something akin to this is the 

 feeling of the ornithologist when he is 

 first visiting the swamps and finds a 

 well filled nest of the Coot or Gallinuie, 

 and. we should not be too severe with 

 the collector for taking a few unnecs- 

 sary sets while the experience is new. 

 It is only the repetition of the experi- 

 ence we had with our first pair of boots 

 and our first suspenders. 



Punkin Patch is typical of the or- 

 dinary swamp-lake, usually an area of 

 open water of more or less extent, 

 stagnant and green with the moss and 

 other aquatic plants which grow in 

 rankest profusion, and filled with stems 

 of lilies supporting the spreading circu- 

 lar leaves and white blossoms with bright 

 golden stamens. In the cleai'er por- 

 tions of the water schools of minnows 

 dart away at the approach of larger 

 enemies, and animalcules in abundance 

 float on the surface to be picked up by 

 the birds which sport and feed over the 

 area. These lakes are usually fi'inged 

 by a zone of tall, rank fiags and rushes, 

 which extend far out beyond the 

 water's edge and often continue into 

 the borders of the timber which com- 

 monly grows on the ridge between the 

 swamp and the river. In the ordinary 

 stages of water, these .lakes receive 

 their supply from the rise of the river 

 and can be reached and explored by 

 skiffs, but the present dry season de- 

 prived most of the swamps of the ver- 

 nal supply and they could be reached 

 only by wading. I advise any who ex- 

 pect to visit the swamps another season 

 to wade in a pair of old pants and old 

 shoes. Waders are to heavj' and bur- 

 densome, and rubber boots become 



filled with water and heavy to lift with 

 each step. A light stout pole or staff, 

 marked with feet and inches, is useful 

 as a help in walking and to guard 

 against tripping over concealed roots 

 and stems, and it serves to measure the 

 depth of the water and the dimensions 

 of the nests. In walking one genei'ally 

 sinks about eight inches into the mud 

 and moss, but there is commonly a 

 hard stratum below, though one should 

 be on the lookout for holes and espec- 

 ially for the runs of the muskrats, 

 which inhabit these swamps. It is not 

 all fan, but work should have an ele- 

 ment of enjoyment in it, and after the 

 trip is over the work has been done and 

 the pleasure remains as an agreeable 

 recollection. 



It was on this trip to Punkin Patch 

 that I formed the acquaintance of the 

 King Eail, and the sturdy, somewhat 

 pugnacious, artful creature soon be- 

 came a favorite of mine, though I can 

 not say that the friendship was mutual. 

 I found my first one on her nest about 

 forty feet from the water's edge, in a 

 tuft of green flags growing in the moist, 

 though uncovered ground, and to my 

 starting eyes she formed one of the 

 pleasantest pictures I had ever seen. 

 She was sitting jauntily under her little 

 canopy of drooping fiags, with her 

 brown eyes turned inquiringly on me 

 and she appeared in no hurry to leave 

 the premises. When I motioned to- 

 ward her with my foot, however, she 

 slipped from her nest and glided noise- 

 lessly from the spot among the ad- 

 jacent dry rushes. No farther than 

 twenty feet away, she stopped and ut- 

 tered her Guinea-like cry of "crak" and 

 circling about the place, she threaded 

 her way in and out of the tufts of flags, 

 now coming into sight a moment and 

 then quickly stepping behind a tuft 

 which would hide her from view. Thus 

 she stepped around me remonsti'ating 

 against the disturbance of her home, 

 displaying considerable boldness, so 



