1914 J HoNYWiLL, Birds of Cass and Crow Wing Counties, Minn. 83 



the lake where the water was quite shallow. Pieces of egg shell 

 remained in the nest. It was interesting to note that there was 

 nothing in the vicinity of the nest which offered any conceal- 

 ment such as bushes or grass. A pair of old birds and two 

 young occupied the lake and were undoubtedly the owners of the 

 nest. There are practically no rocks along the shore so that it 

 was probably for this reason that the Mallards would come out 

 into the grass or even go up into the brush to sun themselves. 

 I flushed a number from the edge of the brush which arose with 

 quacks of alarm as I walked along. One bird was evidently 

 moulting and was hardly able to make its escape. During 1912 

 the water was much lower both at Stake Lake and Ox Meadow. 

 The lower water exposed rocks near the center of Stake Lake which 

 were used by the Mallards in sunning themselves during the middle 

 of the day. 



The second lake, if it can be designated by such a name, is called 

 Ox Meadow Lake. It is situated in the midst of a wild meadow 

 and marsh land called by the natives Ox Meadow from the fact 

 that several hundred head of oxen were formerly quartered there 

 during the summer. These oxen were used in the winter for haul- 

 ing logs but during the summer were allowed to run wild and feed 

 on the luxuriant grass around Ox Meadow and Stake Lake. 



Ox Meadow was teeming with bird life. As I walked out into 

 sight of the meadow on my first trip I flushed a magnificent flock 

 of Prairie Chickens. They arose from all sides, thirty-five in 

 number, and after a short flight sailed oft" on stiffened wings until 

 one by one they dropped into the tangled mass of hazel brush, 

 briars and wild sun flowers a short distance from the meadow. At 

 the waters edge stood a Bittern while ducks and grebes swam off 

 at my approach but did not take flight. 



On one occasion I spent over an hour lying in the tall grass near 

 the waters edge watching the scene spread out before me. Pied- 

 billed Grebes were numerous and would bob up and disappear 

 among the lilies in a most interesting way. Further out I observed 

 several families of Wood Ducks leisurely swimming along in single 

 file. There were probably sixty to seventy birds in all while Mal- 

 lards w^ere even more numerous although they kept well towards 

 the center of the lake. Occasionally a small band of Yellow-legs 



