THE OOLOGIST. 



moss and all the eggs show the same 

 type of color, one showing the green 

 and one the brown shade of ground 

 color. We spent some time on the lake 

 looking for nests of Black Tern, Yel- 

 low headed and Red-winged Black- 

 birds and Bitterns with but little suc- 

 cess, and then returned to the shore for 

 lunch. Before starting lunch I thought 

 I would see if mv horse was safe, and 

 walked around to the other side of the 

 willows where we had left him, only to 

 find him gone. I gave the alarm, and 

 leaving lunch for the present we started 

 in pursuit, but failed, after over an 

 hours search, to find him. Mr. A fol- 

 lowed our road back to his house while 

 S and I searched the brush in the vi- 

 cinity of the lake. N\ hen A returned 

 he reported finding tracks of a horse 

 over the sand hills, so we walked back 

 to his home. I then took the pony and 

 rode round through the brush to look 

 for my lost steed. While A and S took 

 another horse and went for tberig, boat, 

 etc. I finished the day and returned to 

 supper without success, and after sup- 

 per started out on a 25 mile walk home 

 under the impression that "Billy," who 

 is a great lover of his stall, might have 

 tracked for home. I need hardly dwell 

 on the long weary walk, making at 

 least 40 miles that day, or the glorious 

 exhibition j of natural illumination I 

 witnessed as I crossed the sand hills 

 and watched the fire-Hies performing 

 their midnight evolutions, but the sun 

 was streaking the eastern &ky ere I ar- 

 rived home, to find that Billy had not 

 returned. I rested the next day, as I 

 was pretty well used up and the follow- 

 ing day Mr. A andS came to hand with 

 the outfit with one of Mr. A's horses 

 and reported that Billy had not turned 

 up yet. After unloading, and dinner, I 

 took a saddle and returned with Mr. A, 

 but it was Sunday noon before old Billy 

 having broken his hobble, returned to 

 A's place and was joyfully admitted 

 through the pasture field bars and put 



in the stable again. His fetlocks were 

 badly cut by the hobble and I had to 

 walk him all the way home, thus ending 

 my collecting season of 1900. 



On the 25th of July, Billy having re- 

 covered from the effects of his last es- 

 capade, and I having a business trip to 

 make to Rothwell, 1 thought I would 

 take the boat alo-^g and pay another 

 friendly visit to Mr. and Mrs. Loon as I 

 thought in all probability there would 

 be another set of eggs by this time, 

 therefore started off about 3:30 and ar- 

 rived at Mr. A's about nine; as 1 was 

 tired with my long drive in the hot sun 

 I went to bed. Before entering, Mr. A 

 told me how he had shot three young of 

 the Saw Whet Owl in a thick poplar 

 bluff about two miles from his place, 

 which conclusively proves they breed 

 with us. 



On the following morning we visited 

 Loon lake again and saw the Loons 

 there. While we were getting the boat 

 ready the Loons both took wing and 

 left the lake. We searched the lake 

 carefully, but found no sign of a nest 

 except a the one we had taken the set 

 from on our former visit, and as our 

 time was limited to a day, did not 

 waste more time there. As we were 

 taking the boat down we saw one of the 

 Loons, likely the female, return, and 

 went away leaving her swimming on 

 the placid waters of the lake. It was 

 noon now so we ate our lunch, and 

 while eating, decided as we still had 

 the half day to put in, we would go to 

 another lake about two miles east, not 

 as large, and in some places quite reedy. 

 Like the Aborigines we had to find our 

 own road, and drove through some 

 brush and scrub, which to say the least, 

 was a very poor highway. However, 

 everything comes to him who waits, 

 and at last we found ourselves at lake 

 No. 2. This lake is very shallow in 

 water but deep in mud, and these con- 

 ditions were made more favorable by 

 the dry season, we therefore had great 



