1.18 STORIES OF BIRD LIFE 



fence, which had now partly fallen, extended from the field 

 out through the grass in the shallow water. On this I 

 climbed and lying at full length on a couple of rails but a 

 few inches above the water found myself well hidden from 

 view. The boy now paddled away up the lake with my hat 

 and coat decorating one of the paddles which he leaned 

 against the middle thwart. I lay in the sunshine and 

 waited. 



Twenty minutes later the ducks came flying down the 

 lake, the female in the lead. Silently they lit in the water 

 near the bend of the grass, and swam directly toward my 

 hiding place. Feeling sure both men had gone away in the 

 boat they did not stop to reconnoitre, and one of them soon 

 gave two or three low clucks which quickly brought the 

 young out of their hiding places in the grass. How the 

 little fuzzy fellows did gather about their parents, and how 

 happy they seemed at the old ones' return! 



The duck babies were that day being given lessons in 

 diving. The female would go under water and swim for 

 five or six feet before coming up. The ducklings would 

 follow her example, but often could get little more than 

 their heads under water, while their feet worked so dili- 

 gently that the water boiled behind them. All this went on 

 not more than fiftv feet from mv retreat. 



