A SUMMER VOYAGE 



hawks, or ospreys, of which there were nearly a 

 dozen sailing about above the junction of the two 

 streams, squealing and diving, and occasionally 

 striking a fish on the rifts. I am convinced that 

 the fish hawk sometimes feeds on the wing. I saw 

 him do it on this and on another occasion. He 

 raises himself 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 pre- 

 sents 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 wild ducks, the hooded merganser. 

 The young were about 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 

 themselves 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 upstream. 

 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 revolving wheels placed a little 

 to the rear; their breasts just skimmed the sur- 

 face, and the water was beaten into spray behind 

 them. They had no need of wings ; even the 

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