278 WITH GUN AND GUIDE 



forsakes the locality and builds a new nest in a fresh 

 location. Tame ducks have never been considered 

 very cleanly birds as to their feeding habits, so we 

 were not surprised to learn that among the host of 

 birds that gorge themselves upon the dead and fast- 

 decaying salmon which pollute the air and the water of 

 the Bear Kiver, the mallard duck is about as greedy as 

 any of them. During the time when they are thus in- 

 dulging in the Bacchanalian feast, their flesh is so 

 tainted as to be uneatable. 



An osprey had a nest in the top of a very tall dead 

 tree. We frequently watched her in the middle of the 

 month of September flying forth and back with food 

 for her young. A very late time for young birds to be 

 hatched out, we thought, and we wondered if anything 

 had happened that would account for such a late start 

 in life for the youngsters, as in a few weeks at the 

 latest winter would be upon them, and then their 

 wings would be hardly able to carry them to the south- 

 land. 



There were many specimens of the bald eagle to be 

 seen along the course of the river, and of crows follow- 

 ing the same watercourse their name was legion ; it 

 need not be said that this harvest of putrid salmon was 

 partaken of until they could hardly give a warning 

 "caw" or arise in flight when they were disturbed. 

 There were a few ravens consorting with them with 

 like ravenous appetites. 



