'JO Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Mitin. I Jan 



was accompanied frequently by my friend Mr. Thompson who, 

 although not particularly interested in birds, helped me in many 

 ways and was good company. In 1903 Mr. Phila W. Smith, Jr., 

 of St. Louis was with me, and we lost little time. Mr. Smith is 

 an experienced field man, and being also energetic and tireless 

 we covered the immediate country around Walker thoroughly. 

 Our time was too limited to allow us to explore the entire lake 

 as we desired to do, so we confined ourselves to the western end. 



The town of Walker is on Walker Bay, the latter forming the 

 western extension of Leech Lake proper. Walker Bay, itself, is 

 no inconsiderable body of water, as it is from ten to fifteen miles 

 in length, by one to three in width. Leech Lake is one of the 

 largest lakes in Minnesota and has over five hundred miles of 

 shore line. It is in the north-central part of the State, just north 

 of the 47th parallel, and between 94° and 95° west longitude — 

 not far from the source of the Mississippi. 



The. lake is a beautiful body of water, clear, cold, and pure, 

 with sandy shores and bottom, the former riprapped with great 

 granite boulders. Many beautiful forest-clad headlands project 

 out into the lake, forming protected bays of varying size. Several 

 small rivers, such as the Shinobie, Kabakona, Steamboat, and 

 Benedict, enter Walker Bay, carrying the surplus water from 

 numerous small lakes and ponds back in the hills. At the mouths 

 of these streams, and in peaces along their course, are marshes 

 of greater or less extent, with beds of wild rice and cane. 



The Leech Lake Indian Reservation, occupied by the Pilger 

 tribe of the Chippewas, takes up the greater part of the lake and 

 surrounding country, and on their lands the forest is in its nat- 

 ural beauty. Where the land is not thus protected the destruc- 

 tive lumberman has left nothing but unsightly pine stumps and 

 mutilated standing trees ; and as this section was only cut over 

 from three to five years ago, nature has not had time to cover the 

 scars. In many places great fires have swept through in the 

 wake of the lumbermen leaving nothing but desolation. Some of 

 the places are so recently burned over that nothing green has 

 started from the crisp, ash covered ground, and such localities are 

 shunned by birds and insects. 



Back from the lake is a succession of hills, with small lakes or 



