Witp-Fow Lt or Witp-FowL 
tion. Even from the car-window, on a branch rail- 
road in North Dakota, as I neared my destination | 
saw the Ducks flying out from a series of shallow 
sloughs, alarmed at the approach of the tri-weekly 
train. It was the tenth of May, and there were 
scores of them just settling down to the annual task 
of nest-building. So near were they to the train 
that without the field-glass I could easily distinguish 
Mallards, Shovellers, Pintails and Blue-winged Teal. 
Not many miles beyond this favored spot my 
friend and I disembarked, and soon were driving 
out from the little town along a level prairie road, 
bordered by dark fields, some of which were already 
delicately greened with the sprouting wheat. Close 
by the humble home of a settler, on the right, was 
a little pond covering less than .an acre of ground, 
convenient for his cattle. And there were evidently 
his barnyard fowl, a flock of Ducks, enjoying their 
favorite element. But what did it mean? Just as 
we drove by, there was a sudden whistling of wings, 
and away they went, w7/d Ducks,—the same kinds 
we had seen from the train,—feeding within a few 
rods of the barn! 
About six miles further on we approached the 
house where we were to stay over night. Here, too, 
a pond was prominent, right by the turn of the 
driveway, and it, likewise, had its Ducks, twenty or 
more of them. A Willet standing on the shore 
uttered his customary note of alarm, and they were 
off; but by the time we looked back from the 
house, there they were again, having circled back 
and alit. From the parlor-window I could see 
them so clearly with the glass as to be able to iden- 
171 
