THE OLD SQUAW 357 



ish below and white speculum. Head less puffy 

 in the lay of its feathers, snuffy brown, with a 

 small gray patch behind the eye. In her mark- 

 ings she resembles very closely the female of 

 the American golden-eye made up a vest pocket 

 edition. 



The Bufflehead averages from twelve to fif- 

 teen inches in length and in extent from twenty- 

 two to twenty-four inches. As may be seen, 

 the smallest of our ducks. 



THE OLD SQUAW. 



(Harelda hyemalis.) 



The wind sweeps along the gray water in 

 heavy gusts, driving dead leaves seaward and 

 piling foam and drift on the island shores. The 

 long rollers break on the ledges in heavy mono- 

 tone, thundering across seaweed-covered reefs 

 in foam and feathery spray. The oak trees 

 creak and gride against each other where they 

 margin the shore and the smaller branches rat- 

 tle and clash together. Withered leaves and 

 dead grass stems rustle drearily in the breeze. 

 Not a song-bird cheers the woods with melody. 

 Not a shore-bird's whistle gladdens beach or 



