Tur WHarTe- WINGED FEREET 
fMoiesathree, andiin one case 1 found, four, » They 
are very heavily marked and scrawled with black, 
so much so as almost to hide the ground-color. 
Minese little hens are ate) im) breeding, |) At this 
time many of the eggs were quite fresh, and some 
of ithe isets were incomplete, though there, were 
some young swimming about in the grass, after 
the fashion of their family. 
They are bold and noisy little fellows, especially 
when they consider that their rights are being tres- 
passed upon. On one occasion, after photograph- 
ing a nest with three incubated eggs, I noticed 
some young in the water, and, climbing out of 
the boat, waded after them. The water was just 
up to the top of my boots, and I found that I 
must hold these up to keep dry. Then the mother- 
bird made at me with all her might. With angry 
swoops she kept striking me most vicious blows 
on the top of the head with her sharp little bill. 
At first I laughed, but I had on only a very thin cap, 
and having to hold up my boot-tops all the time, I 
could not protect myself. Finally my head pained 
me so that it was no laughing matter, and I actually 
had to beat an inglorious retreat and climb into 
the boat,—a man worsted by a tiny little bird with 
nothing but a bill for a weapon. For,-all. that, 4 
could not be angry at the little mother, but ad- 
mired her }courage, and -strength.. It «made me 
think what would be the result if all the birds in 
that teeming slough should combine for a_ bold 
attack on the visiting ornithologists. 
Minstalhpie Black; dhern, 1s ene: iotssthe } most 
typical birds of the Dakota prairies. Almost never 
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