Wittp= LOWE. OF -WILDs=EOowL 
some time spent in paddling about and dressing 
their feathers did they fly off. 
In my visit the past season to the lakes and 
sloughs of this splendid prairie region, I renewed 
my acquaintance with the Ducks and Geese, and 
made some further observations. As it happened, 
we found several nests of the Canada Goose, this 
time in marshy sloughs, large platforms of stems 
built in areas of broken-down rushes that made a 
foundation above the surrounding water. It was 
June, and we were too late, for only an addled egg 
or two remained. The Geese lay usually early in 
May, or even in April, it is said. 
The Ducks seemed to be about as numerous as 
before. On the islands they held their own well, 
though not so many Scoters were nesting there. 
But the presence of large flocks of them in differ- 
ent bays showed that great numbers of them were 
breeding in places along the shores, doubtless, from 
others’ observation, up on the adjoining prairie. I 
noticed more mixed Ducks’ sets than ever. We 
found here. nests of Gadwall, Baldpate and Scaup 
that had each one or two Scoters’ eggs in them, 
and these first three also intermingled with one 
another. A Ring-necked Scaup had a nest with 
ten eggs. On June 22 I came upon a sight that I 
had never witnessed before. A Shoveler flushed at 
our feet from the grass, and there were ten young 
in the nest, all dry, and ready to take to the water, 
which they tried to do as soon as their mother left 
them.’ One of the party put his hat over them 
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