BIRDS. 125 



back upstream for another descent." A family of seven was seen 

 near the end of August by members of our party on INIineral Creek, 

 " bobbing over the rapids in single file," and on McDonald Creek 

 a few days later we saw a family of five. Here gently tilted shelves 

 of shale gave an alternation of green shallows and foaming rapids 

 that the ducks could make their way through upstream. As we 

 looked, the close file of five, each with its wdiite head spots and so 

 nearly alike in size that we could only surmise that the leader was 

 the mother, swam rapidly up through the white foam, using wings 

 as well as webbed feet and holding their heads high, as the foam some- 

 times came up to their bills. Once when a rapid was too high they 

 nuide a detour up a slanting side chute ending in a ledge over a foot 

 in height. Four of them successfully jumped up the wall, but the 

 fifth made a slip and was caught by the swift current and carried 

 back several feet into the foam. When he came up he made another 

 mistake, stepping on a slippery, sloping rock, and a second time was 

 caught b}' the water and carried down into the foam. When the 

 whole five had gone up through a long stretch of rapids toward the 

 fall where seme old water ouzel's nests were found, they discovered a 

 fisherman casting a line in the bottom of the gorge; so after some 

 hesitation they turned around and giving themselves up to the 

 churning water came bobbing down over the rapids with an air of 

 buoyant ease that made a rarely pretty sight. At the foot of the 

 rapids one of them, perhaps the unskillful one which had had trou- 

 ble in getting upstream, instead of pointing head forw^ard w^ as turned 

 sideways across the stream. As they swam over to a quiet bay along 

 shore they were greeted by one of the famil}^ that had been left be- 

 hind — if appearances were to be trusted. 



A mother and six 3'oung were seen at Grinnell Lake about the 

 middle of August by Dr. Grinnell, who sent me an interesting ac- 

 count of their actions. He was standing on the beach when they 

 came in sight, swimming close to the shore. He says : " They did not 

 notice me and went along slowly and passed me within 12 or 15 feet. 

 The little ones were active in diving, as much so as the mother bird, 

 but remained under the water a much shorter time. All were active, 

 vigorous swimmers and divers. I heard no call from the young, but 

 the mother uttered a hoarse croaking quack. 



"xVfter they had gone perha^js a hundred yards beyond me, they 

 seemed to have satisfied their appetites, and drew close to shore, 

 disappearing behind a little ]:)oint. I went around to the little cove 

 where they had gone, and as T appeared they were startled and 

 swam swiftly from the shore out into the lake. As I stood (juiet they 

 at once recovered from their alarm, turned about, and swam back 

 toward shore, and then all seven climbed out on a dead tree tiunk 

 that had fallen into the lake and stood there side bv side, drving 



