182 



THE OOLOGIST. 



had collected all the sets we needed we 

 were glad to beat a retreat and get 

 rid of them. I have never found any 

 birds so tierce at any one disturbing 

 their eggs, except perhaps the Robin. 



The nests of the Terns were flimsey 

 affairs, simply half a dozen pieces of 

 reeds laid around their thi'ee eggs to 

 keep them from I'oliing off the Musii- 

 rat houses on Avhieh they wei'e laid. 



Upon blowing the eggs they were 

 found to be far advanced in incubation, 

 and they would have hatched in two or 

 three days, 



We then i-etraced our way through 

 the reeds, taking a set of five Least Bit- 

 tern, on the way. 



Walton Mitchell, 

 St. Paul, Minn. 



A Collecting Trip in North Dakota. 



During the spring of "92 I was collect- 

 ing specimens in the ornithological line 

 in North Dakota. 



I am deeply indebted to Mr. Judd of 

 Cando for courtesies extended. Being 

 an energetic and enthusiastic 

 collector and the possessor of a fine 

 pair of Bronchos, suflice to say he 

 made an agreeable companion. Of the 

 different interesting localities visited, I* 

 will confine my narrative to a trip to and 

 from Devil's Lake Avhich occupied three 

 days about the middle of June. As one 

 would naturally suppose we got an 

 early start leaving Cando before sun- 

 rise. Our dog Fritz employed himself 

 catching gophers for the first few miles. 

 On our right we watch Ring-billed and 

 Franklin's Gulls seeking a breakfast 

 on a newly plowed strip of land. Of 

 the different species of birds seen I have 

 not space to make special mention of 

 each. Conspicuous among them how- 

 ever were the Chestnut-collared Long- 

 spui's with their soai'ing and "a la par- 

 achute descent" as Dr. Coues fittingly 

 calls it. 



Black Tern and Yellow-headed Black- 



birds Avere in sight most of the time. 

 Baird's Sparrows were more often lieard 

 than seen, and each pond and slough 

 had its usual quota of Ducks. As we 

 neared the Big Coulee Ave saw a female 

 Blue-winged Teal alight in a thick 

 bunch of grass. Upon investigation a 

 set of eight eggs Avas discoA^ered. At 

 Church's Ferry Ave made a short stop to 

 make inquiries concerning routes, and 

 were soon on our way towards Gra- 

 ham's Island as we supposed. 1 com- 

 menced to feel drowsy as the heat of 

 the day came on. HoAA'ever I was soon 

 awakened from mj'^ slumbers by a flut- 

 tering on my left. Fritz had flashed a 

 "Pintail Chicheu" from her nest. How 

 1 regreted that I Avas not the possessor 

 of a kodak. 



The dog came to a point and the 

 Grouse stood on the defense with head 

 loAvered and Avings half spread. The 

 nest, partially hidden lay between. Our 

 collecting boxes soon contained its nine 

 chocolate-brown beauties Avhich we 

 marked Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. 

 We soon discovered a small lake sur- 

 rounded by bulrushes. As it appeared 

 to be a favorable locality Ave staked out 

 the ponies and proceeded to explore it. 

 I'll not go into details. But in the course 

 of an hour Ave had taken two sets of Mal- 

 lard eggs one sixteen in number and the 

 other fifteen, one set of nine eggs of the 

 Gadwall and one set often of the Rud- 

 dy Duck. Also four set^ of Coots eggs 

 the largest numbering fourteen, to- 

 gether with several sets of Yellow-head- 

 ed Blackbirds. We left one set of the 

 Pintail Duck that were heaA'ily incu- 

 bated and fourteen sets of Coots. We 

 proceeded on our way. In passing 

 over a stretch of land that was streAvn 

 with boulders we obserAed many 

 Night-haAvks setting on the rocks ap- 

 parently asleep. They would allow us 

 to approach within a few feet before 

 flying. As we came up over a slight 

 elevation of land we got our first vieAV 

 of Devil's Lake. 



