In North-Wesi C(in<i(h(. 48 



to several ducks' nests he knew of. As it Avas twelve o'clock, 

 we went to the house in the rear, w]ien 1 was introduced to 

 the landlady as a naturalist wlio had come all the way from 

 Toronto to explore the regions around here. 1 )inner over, the 

 station master telegraphed to Moose jaw to eiKpiire if any 

 freight trains were expected to pass through Rush Lake, and 

 as none were coming through that afternoon he got permis- 

 sion for a few liours' aljsence, so, shouldering our ginis, we 

 crossed over tlie railway track and reached tlie 1 tanks of a 

 stream that runs into tlie lake, we were joined by liis faithful 

 setter dog who soon iluslied a male slioveller duck : as he rose, 

 my companion took aim and the duck dropped with a tliud 

 to the ground. He was a handsome specimen, with his Itright, 

 attractive plumage, and I wrapped liim up and covered him 

 Mnth grass so that he could not be carrie<l oi\' l)y hawks : ^ve 

 left him, intending to come back tlie same way on our return. 

 We found the creek alive with broods of young ducks : there 

 were shovellers, mallards, scaups, canvas backs, and teals. 

 Streams in Canada are invariably called creeks, and must not 

 be confounded with the English meaning of the word creek. 



In Eno-land a creek sionifies a small ba^' or inlet, but in Can- 

 to o • 



ada a creek is a stream. My English readers nnist also not 

 get confounded over the name " bluff." In England tlie name 

 "bluff" is always applied to a rocky headland or steep bank 

 overhanging the sea or river: on the prairies, a " bluff" means 

 an isolated cluster of trees, and the word "slough" is the 

 name of a wet, marshy spot, or shallow pond. The creek at 

 Rush Lake is a sluggish stream, three feet deep and about 

 twelve feet wide, and winds its serpentine course from the 

 station for two miles, and then empties itself into the lake. 

 The sides of the creek are fringed with rushes and tall grass, 

 offernipf ofood shelter for ducks and other waterfowl. On our 

 way we came to a small boat, and my companion, Macdonald, 

 advised me to cross to the other side of the creek and he 

 would walk along one side while I examined the other, so I 

 stepped into the boat and pushed it across the stream. Then 

 we began to search in eai'iiest and soon found the place alive 



