128 Birds of Lakeside and Prairie 



marshes of the Middle Western states, and then there would 

 be some chance to gain their confidence and to learn their 

 ways. 



I left the shore birds behind with a keenness of regret. I 

 never before had succeeded, in a double sense, in getting so 

 close to them. In the afternoon of that May day we went 

 once more afield to see and to hear our dry land friends. It 

 was soon forced home to us that all birds have their share of 

 water, for a heavy rain-storm set in and drove us and the 

 songsters to shelter. Passing through a bit of woodland on 

 our way to the protection of the club-house porch, we flushed 

 a drowsy whippoorwill. It flew silently and heavily for a few 

 yards and then went to earth again. In a few hours' time, 

 however, it was alert enough, for I am sure it was this bird 

 that repeated its quavering cry again and again as a sort of a 

 good by to us as we boarded the train in the dusk of evening 

 and sped away cityward. 



