106 The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 113 



is revealed large numbers of that dainty woods-growing 

 orchid, the lasser rattlesnake plantain {Pcramium repens). 

 Of wild flowers there is no end, and the open places simply 

 glow with the purple of the wild asters, the red of the wild 

 phlox (or " fire-weed," as it is called) and the yellow of 

 wild sunflowers and golden-rod. 



There is a certain phase of the wild life situation of 

 Itasca county that deserves special mention. The water 

 fowl situation is most peculiar, and forms a problem of 

 considerable interest. The hundreds of lakes of the vicin- 

 ity, varying in size from Lake Winnibigoshish down to the 

 many small, nameless, sphagnum-bordered water-holes, 

 many of them choked with wild rice [Zizania imlustris)^ 

 all of them abounding with food for ducks, should prove a 

 veritable paradise for breeding ducks and other water 

 birds. Yet, in spite of the fact that thirty-three or more 

 of the larger and more important lakes, many nameless 

 small lakes, two important rivers and many smaller streams 

 were visited, with the exception only of loons and a very 

 few mallards and black ducks, not one species of water 

 bird was seen by the writer until August 18, when a single 

 horned grebe was located. This was followed on August 

 22 by the finding of seven pied-billed grebes when the writ- 

 er was on his way to the station. Conditions are such that 

 there should be countless numbers of ducks in the region, 

 and it is not long since many species bred within the 

 county, but of late years, probably within the last six years 

 — there has been a great decrease both in breeding species 

 and migrating numbers, leaving the area practically duck- 

 less during the summer. This situation is rather diflScult 

 to explain, and it seems rather improbable that the de- 

 parture could be due to the hunting, which in quantity 

 surely could not be compared with the bombardment which 

 greets the fall migration in Wisconsin year after year, 

 without apparent effect on the migration route. For the 

 benefit of those who will work over the territory' covered 



