10 NOTES ON THE 



Family UEIKATORID^ (The Loons.) 



URINATOR IMBER (Gunner). (7.) 

 LOON. 



I found this Loon abundantly represented for its species 

 when I came to the then territory of Minnesota in 1857, but 

 sujDposed that the general settlement of the country would soon 

 decimate them. In this I was mistaken, for there has been no 

 diminution of their relative numbers in any general section 

 which I know of, while in others, there has been an apprecia- 

 ble increase. The earliest openings in the lakes not infre- 

 quently are occupied by one of them, and there is no time during 

 the entire summer when they may not be seen in those lakes 

 known to be their favorite resorts. They are not found in the 

 smaller ponds ordinarily, preferring those more abundantly 

 supplied with lish and offering better security from the hun- 

 ter's gun by its expanse. Their weird, solitary notes, as well as 

 their dignified demeanor when undisturbed, give little intima 

 tion of their social vivacity after the young have become grown 

 and strong. "Who would prove this must be willing to quit his 

 couch early, before the family has been broken by the depar- 

 ture of the male to his solitary haunts and the female has sent 

 the young hither and thither in search of their own food, which 

 takes place before the sun has been long risen. It has been 

 my privilege to witness some scenes of their matutinal jollifica- 

 tions, which have always occurred at the earliest dawn, and 

 have terminated with the advent of the sun. The night is 

 spent in proximity to each other on the water, somewhat re- 

 moved from the land. And in the earliest morning the notes of 

 parent male soon call out a response from the other members 

 of the family, when they all draw near, and after cavourting 

 around each other after the manner of graceful skaters for a 

 brief time, they fall into line, side by side, and lifting their 

 wings simultaneously, they start off in a foot race on the water 

 like a line of school children, running with incredible speed a 

 full quarter of a mile without lowering their wings or pausing 

 an instant, wheel around in a short circle, (in which some of 

 them get a little behind) and retrace their course to the place 

 of starting. This race, after but a moment's pause, is repeated 

 over and over again, with unabated zest, until by some undis- 

 coverable signal it ceases as suddenly as it began. Its termin- 



