WOOD DUCK LIFE 117 



in the canoe with one arm over the side near the stern, I 

 slowly sculled around the last bend in the marsh grass and 

 came in full view of the spot where I had seen the brood. 



But the old birds alone were to be seen. There they sat 

 silent, with heads erect and necks stiff, at some distance 

 from the position they had recently occupied. In a moment 

 they had risen from the water with a great noise of 

 whistling wings that made the little dell resound. Gather- 

 ing headway at once they rushed whizzing away like a pair 

 of departing bombshells. 



Surely there were no young about, to be deserted in this 

 way. To make sure I shoved the canoe here and there 

 through the grass and reeds, and struck the water repeat- 

 edly with the paddle, but no young could be found. While 

 this was going on, the old ones returned and circled several 

 times around the end of the pond, and then settled in the 

 open lake half a mile away 



Some hours later I again approached the ducks ' feeding 

 ground and again saw the old ones with the young. I 

 determined to outwit them if possible and see what became 

 of the young. Taking a boy in the canoe we boldly ap- 

 proached the ducks. As we rounded the point of grass 

 there were the male and female sitting alone as before. 

 Instantly they were upon the wing and after flying about 

 some time lit at a distance as in the morning. An old rail 



