18 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 70. 



There were Mallards, Lesser Scaup Ducks, Redheads, Golden- 

 eyes, Red-breasted INIergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Bald- 

 pates, Canvasbacks, Teal, and one White-winged Scoter. 

 Never since then have I seen as many wild ducks in a single 

 day." 



After the old hermit had completed this narrative, he bade 

 us farewell and set out for home. We watched him until he 

 had paddled across the river, then we locked the doors and re- 

 tired for the night, for it was after ten o'clock, and we had 

 ]:)lanned to start on a fishing trip at four the following morn- 

 ing. 



Our sleep was not destined to be without interru])tion, how- 

 ever, and before morning came we were awakened several 

 times by various prowlers. At about eleven o'clock I was 

 aroused by the loud hooting of a Great Horned Owl, which 

 seemed to issue from the tall trees at the rear of our camp. 

 The bird continued to hoot from time to time for a period of 

 about twenty minutes, after which it must have flown away, 

 for the sounds ceased. Although I disliked to have my sleep 

 broken, I must confess that 1 rather enjoyed this weird sere- 

 nade, for there was somethii\g so wild and primeval about it 

 that it appealed strongly to the romantic fibers of my makeup. 

 These owls are still fairly plentiful near the Otonabee and are 

 apparently bolder and more rapacious than their northern 

 Ohio cousins. 



Once during the night we were startled by hearing the mel- 

 ancholy, tremulous calls of a Screech Owl from some point 

 close at hand. The calls were so clear and distinct that we 

 conclued that the bird was sitting upon the roof of our hut. 

 During the earlier watches of the night we also heard a Whip- 

 ])oor-wi]l emitting its lonesome, mournful calls. By eleven 

 o'clock, however, it had either desisted or retreated to some 

 more remote rendezvous. 



Along towards morning some four-footed prowler visited 

 our camp. We heard it scratching about in our garbage pile 

 and near our back door for some little time. Tt might have 



