IN THE OOZY PLACES 163 



dived ; and then to spare them further fright and 

 if possible end the agony, we rushed them and 

 passed right over them. Splash! Splash! 

 Splash! A jet of water, kicked from each pair 

 of black feet, shot up into the air, even after the 

 accompanying abbreviated tail had disappeared. 

 Up and down again, right under the paddles 

 they came; then we were ahead of them; but 

 when we looked back from a safe distance, they 

 were headed down stream and still frantically 

 diving as quickly as they could get a fresh breath. 



We regarded this mother duck somewhat as 

 an old friend. The previous August we had 

 rowed up the creek, and found a similar bluebill 

 with a brood that all acted as though they had 

 been taught in the same school. The perform- 

 ance of both the mother and young ones in each 

 case was repeated to the letter, and as they were 

 at almost the selfsame spot in the creek, we felt 

 sure that it was the same little mother in her 

 summer home. Long may she live! 



Before long we came upon more creek inhabi- 

 ants ; this time it was a squad of blue-winged teal. 

 They were of 'three sizes. Some of the oldest 

 brood were able to fly ten or twelve feet, but the 

 youngest fellows were much belated and still 



