THE DUCK-MOTHERS 91 



and I believe that if the day had been cold, she 

 would have returned much more quickly. 



The monotony of waiting finally became un- 

 bearable. So did the mosquitoes and black flies, 

 and I went off and wandered around in the 

 bluffs at the foot of the sand-hills. For a couple 

 of hours I amused myself thus, but found little 

 other than a nesting pair of morose, white- 

 rumped shrikes. The lady of this household sat 

 within a few feet of the nest and uttered not a 

 sign of protest, even when I put my fingers upon 

 her six, speckled egges ; and it was then I wished 

 that I had brought the kodak. 



My hopes were high when I returned and 

 peeped around the corner of the little bluff. 

 Alas, there was no sign of Dame Mallard. 

 However, I had come with a negative-or-night 

 determination, and there yet remained several 

 hours of afternoon sunlight. But these same 

 hours wore away; the mosquitoes grew larger; 

 the black flies' campaign became more aggres- 

 sive ; the sun beat down hotter through the scant 

 leaf-canopy; a crow visited me at regular in- 

 tervals, and because I had no gun, he sauced 

 me and called me a fool for waiting so long; till 



