A SUMMER VOYAGE 31 



I paused for some time and watched the fish 

 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- 

 1 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 mer- 

 ganser. 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 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 revolving 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 



