IN THE LANDAFF VALLEY 223 



were eating. Probably it had brought a fish 

 up from the river. The chimney was simply 

 its table. Again, for no reason that was 

 apparent to us, it flew away, and again, after 

 the briefest absence, it returned. A third 

 time it vanished, and this time for good. 

 We kept on our way up the valley, talking 

 of what we had seen, but after every few 

 rods I turned about to put my glass upon 

 the chimney. Evidently that was the duck's 

 favorite perch, I said ; we shoidd find it there 

 often. But whether my reasoning was faulty 

 or we were simply unfortunate, the fact is 

 that we saw it there no more. On the 25th, 

 at a place two miles or more above this 

 point, we saw a duck of the same kind — at 

 least it was uttering the same grating, croak- 

 ing sounds as it flew ; and a resident of the 

 neighborhood, whom we questioned about the 

 matter, told us that he had noticed such 

 birds (" ducks with white on their wings ") 

 flying up and down the valley, and had no 

 doubt that they summered there. As to 

 their fondness for chimney-tops he knew no- 

 thing ; nor do I know anything beyond the 

 simple facts as I have here set them down. 



