8 NATURE STUDY. 



away with such a galaxy of beauty and such melody 

 about us ? 



As we turned our faces homeward, we "counted our 

 mercies ' ' and found we had been greeted by no fewer than 

 forty-Jive feathered sprites, which included thirteen of the 

 elusive warblers. We decided that this should be marked 

 as a red-letter day in our calendar — a day filled with pleas- 

 ures, which may be equalled, but we believe seldom sur- 

 passed. 



Waterbury, Conn. 



Seven Men and a Duck. 



BY ELIZABETH POLHEMUvS. 



As I was rowing on Silver Lake at the close of a bril- 

 liant October day last fall, I saw bobbing up and down 

 what I supposed was a brown leaf. Suddenly it rose in 

 the water, showing a white breast ; then down it dived. A 

 duck, I thought, and with all speed rowed to the spot 

 where it vanished, only to be greeted by a loud burst of 

 laughter from a group of children, who, pointing to the 

 other side of the lake, said : " L/Ook, lady, it's way over 

 there." 



A boy, larger than the others, said : " It's lots of fun to 

 watch her. She is a prize diver, and as for swift swim- 

 ming under water, electricity can't beat her." One of the 

 smallest girls pointed out the quiet nook where she slept 

 at night, resting the delicate, swift feet, and told me that 

 for several weeks they had been watching this strange new- 

 comer. I suppose that being hurt or sick when the flock 

 to which she belonged flew over, she had been left behind, 

 and had never had the courage to try and catch up ; for I 

 have read that they fly one hundred miles an hour. As I 



