VOL. XIV.] BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY. 2G9 



which we at first took for a female Tufted Duck, but a closer 

 and more careful inspection proved it to be a young female 

 Scaup Duck. The white ring of feathers at the base of the 

 beak was conspicuous. When di\ang it remained under water 

 for considerably longer periods than the Tufted Ducks, and 

 it was noticeable that it kept apart from these birds, although 

 it could not get rid of the Coots. Fortunately it came near 

 enough for us to obtain some photographs. Later on, another 

 single female of this species was seen. 



Soon after ii o'clock, our attention was attracted to a bird 

 flying directly towards our " hide," uttering a loud and clear 

 whistle as it came. Its flight, with partly flexed, and rapidly 

 fluttering wings, was very like that of a Common Sandpiper. 

 It alighted at the edge of the water, at the very foot of our 

 " hide," and within four feet of us, and we had not the slightest 

 trouble in identifying it as a Green Sandpiper {Tringa ochropus) 

 the first to be recorded for this district. Cautious but un- 

 successful eft'orts were made to get a camera focussed upon 

 it, but it was too near and an imfortunate shake sent it off 

 with a loud alarm whistle. 



Half an hour later, snow began to fall thickly and very soon 

 everything at a greater distance than 20 feet was blotted out. 

 The sleeping Tufted Duck were quickly covered, and presented 

 the appearance of some strange new species. The Coots were 

 diving too often for the snow to remain on them very long, 

 and at this time, eight of them, and some half a dozen Tufted 

 Ducks were feeding within eight feet of the "hide." 



On December 19th, we lavmched our boat in the darkness 

 of early morning, only to find that the lake was frozen and 

 the islands completely shut in with ice. The loud voices of 

 ducks from the opposite side seemed to promise open water 

 there, in the shelter of the trees and bushes. Walking around 

 we got into hiding beneath some bushes and as soon as it was 

 light w^e saw that a long and narrow strip of water bordering 

 the shore was unfrozen and crowded with birds. 



We counted over 200 Coots, and 150 Tufted Ducks, and 

 besides these there were a few Mallard, three immature male 

 Scaup Ducks, and two male Pochards. Right opposite 

 us a party of twenty to thirty Tufted Ducks were feeding 

 or resting, and we examined these very carefully through 

 glasses. They were all undoubtedly Tufted Ducks, and yet 

 a number of them might easily have passed as Scaups. One 

 bird in particular had a deep band of perfectly white feathers 

 at the base of its beak, but the " tuft " on its head was 

 unmistakable. Other birds with white or buff patches of 



