Finding the Nest of the Knot 99' 



saiid-piper manner. But instead of the much desired eggs^ 

 I found the tiny, downy nestlings, apparently hatched only 

 a few hours before ! 



In my keen disappointment I eagerly searched the whole 

 plateau, wandering to and fro, peering into every depres- 

 sion, for almost eight hours, but with no success. And all 

 further search on the days following resulted only in dis- 

 appointment. 



The summer of 1915 I carefully hunted over the high 

 plateaus about Etah, and though I felt sure several times 

 that my patience was about to be rewarded, I was doomed . 

 to discouraging failure. 



Then again the season of 1916 presented another oppor- 

 tunity for success at North Star Bay, where I knew so well 

 the place to look for the nests. Dr. Hunt and I were then 

 stationed at the place, and I told him when and where we- 

 niight most profitably search. When nesting-time came I 

 was ill with a slight attack of influenza, contracted appar- 

 ently from germs brouglit up in our summer's post, and the 

 task of finding the eggs devolved upon Dr. Hunt. 



Shortly after midnight, on June twenty-eighth, the 

 golden sunshine of Arctic night flooding all the Northland, 

 Dr. Hunt started back into the hills on a search for the 

 nests. He seemed to have been gone but an hour, though 

 morning was well advanced, when he came back exultant 

 with the good news that he had found the nest. 



As soon as I was able to go out, I went with him to the 

 plateau; and tliere, just as he had left them, well marked 

 with small cairns of stones that he had piled up, were the 

 nest and the bird sitting upon its eggs. It did not flush 

 until we nearly puslied it off the nest, and even then re- 

 luctantly. Before it left we photographed it on the nest, 

 the camera scarce a yard away. We then collected the 

 three eggs in the clutch, the nest, and the nesting bird. 



A few days later, after diligent and persistent search. 

 Dr. Hunt found another nest with four eggs on the same 

 plateau. These two nests, so far as known, are the only 

 nests yet definitely reported with eggs. No doubt, now that 



