EARLY NESTING BIRDS 23 



packed away. At the same time many hundreds 

 of our more common birds had been under 

 observation. 



Having come rapidly forward, as I have said, 

 I will return now and note a few of the inci- 

 dents of the riverside. 



CROOKED LAKE, 

 May 13. 



EARLY NESTING MALLARD 



To-day found a Mallard's nest containing three 

 freshly laid eggs ; the nest being in a cavity 

 almost on the water edge in a low willow-covered 

 bank. This pair had lost no time in mating and 

 nesting, for ice still covered the lake. I marvel 

 at their instinct : the wisdom that brought 

 them hundreds of miles north across a continent, 

 their time of opportune arrival set with the 

 accuracy of calendar date : the wisdom that 

 placed the nest so very close to the water's edge, 

 as if the duck had knowledge that the river 

 soon would fall. Some -people might say it was 

 accident, but the more one sees of nature, the 

 more one ponders over that wisdom which is 

 so often designated cunning. 



AN OSPREY'S NEST 



Back a little way in the forest at the top of 

 the " mast " of a dead spruce tree we came later 

 in view of an Osprey's nest ; a look-out over 

 land and water without attempt at hiding. We 

 ran the canoe quietly ashore, and went to investi- 

 gate, while overhead, slowly circling, swung 



