PEP ACTON : A SUMMER VOYAGE. 39 



hawks, or ospreys, of which there were nearly a 

 dozen sailing about above the junction of the two 

 streams, squealing and diving, and occasionally strik- 

 ing a fish on the rifts. I am convinced that the fisb 

 hawk sometimes feeds on the wing. I saw him dc 

 it on this and on another occasion. He raises him- 

 self by a peculiar motion, and brings his head and 

 his talons together, and apparently takes a bite of a 

 fish. While doing this his flight presents a sharply 

 undulating line ; at the crest of each rise the morsel 

 is taken. 



In a long, deep eddy under the west shore I came 

 upon a brood of jviM ducks, the hooded merganser. 

 The youii;; bout half grown, but of course 



entirely destitute of plumage. They started off at 

 great speed, kicking the water into foam behind 

 them, the mother duck keeping upon their flank and 

 rear. Near the outlet of the pool I saw them go 

 ashore, and I expected they would conceal them- 

 selves in the woods; but as I drew near the place 

 they came out, and I saw by their motions they were 

 going to make a rush by me up stream. At a signal 

 from the old one, on they came, and passed within a 

 few feet of me. It was almost incredible, the speed 

 they made. Their pink feet were like swiftly revolv- 

 Vig wheels placed a little to the rear; their breasts 

 just skimmed the surface, and the water was beaten 

 into spray behind them. They had no need of wings ; 

 even the mother bird did not use hers ; a steamboat 

 could hardly have kept up with them. I dropped my 



