THE OOLOGIST. 



170 



1.98 X 1.44, 2.05 x 1.47, 2.14 x 1.47, 2.08 x 

 1.45, 2.16 X 1.45, 2.1G x 1.45; are of a 

 greyish-olive color aud the shell is 

 glossy and quite thick. I was very care- 

 ful to blow them through small holes 

 aud they uow bring to me visions of de- 

 light whenever 1 open my cabinet. 1 

 have taken 14 species of ducks" eggs in 

 Manitoba and Assiniboia, the sets rang- 

 ing from four eggs to nineteen; nearly 

 all were taken with the down aud as 1 

 marked all the eggs very carefully after 

 blowing same, none of them are stained 

 or dirty and my series of ducks' eggs 

 would delight any oologist. In evei'y 

 case identification is absolute and where 

 there was any doubt the shot gun was 

 brought to bear on the patents and 

 some form part of my collection of 

 skins. 



As the ducks will allow a very close 

 appi'oach to the nest without taking 

 flight, one who knows the birds can 

 nearly always identify the female on 

 the nest. Several times I have broken 

 one or two eggs in a set by stepping on 

 the nest, the female Hying from under 

 my feet. 



As it was now getting dusk we re- 

 traced our steps to the camp. I had 

 taken but the one set of duck's eggs to- 

 day, but considering the rarity of the 

 find I felt amply repaid for my long 

 wagon ride across the prairies and was 

 soon in bed. 



I had little sleep all night as the Buf- 

 fieheads had got me excited aud I was 

 anxious for the field again. 



E. Aknold, 

 Battle Creek, Mi(;li. 

 To be continued. 



Field Days in the Foothills 



On August 1st, I and my friend, M., 

 left Calgary, Alberta, our intention be- 

 ing to i)enetrate as far into the foothills 

 as it was possible to do with a Ijuck- 

 board, I then "squat" in some favorable 

 locality for a few days. 



One of the chief inducements of the 

 trip was, to secure if possible, speci- 

 mens of the "Blue Grouse," found in 

 the hills, as I expected to find them 

 that rare variety D. ohsrurns Bu-hard- 

 so7iii. 



M. had a pair of fine pointers which 

 he was going to take, to help hunt the 

 Grouse, but taking the advise of a 

 friendly "rancher" who a.ssured us that 

 the country was full of "Wolf Pizon," 

 and that we should stand a good chance 

 of losing one or both the dogs, he (M.) 

 came to the conclusion that he would 

 leave them at home. 



The 1st was a glorious day, and as we 

 jogged along the trail, with the snow 

 capped peaks of the Rockies getting 

 nearer and nearer, we both came to the 

 conclusion that "collecting" trips had 

 bright as well as shady sides. 



Large hawks were continually in 

 sight, the commonest species seemed to 

 be Swainson's Buzzard. We would of- 

 ten pass within easy gunshot of this 

 bird, as it sat on some slight elevation 

 of the ground or a fence. It is readily 

 distinguished by the broad salmon-col- 

 ored pectoral band. 



Richarsons Spermophile is one 0£ 

 the most abundant small mammals. 

 They are very fearless. I have often 

 struck at them with the whip as we 

 drove past within a few feet. They 

 will then dive into their burrow as 

 quick as a flash, only to be out the next 

 instant, surveying your departure with 

 a sort of "missed me that time old fel 

 low" expression. 



After a drive of some 25 miles, during 

 which we noticed sundry McCowu's 

 and Chestnut - collared Longspurs, 

 Swainson's Hawks and others of doubt- 

 ful identity, we arrived at a "ranch" 

 where we were to put up for the night . 



(Aug. 2d.) We were up bright and 

 early this morning and after a hearty 

 breakfast, our jouliiey was lesunied, 

 the rancher having first pointed out to 

 us a large "Ijutle" alxmt H uiilcs away, 



