80 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 5 



(more or less), off go two guns and oft' go the 

 Cock-ar-wees, large as life and twice as natural, 

 and happy as a clam at high water. A few 

 remarks dropped by my companion and self 

 about not being prepared, shot too far behind, 

 thougJit you would shoot first, etc., is all the 

 consolation that is left us. 



In a litttle wliile we spy a large bird wind- 

 ing his way up from the sea, and coming along 

 with neck outstretched and wings going "two 

 forty," as though he were afraid to let up for 

 an instant, for fear he would drop. We say 

 "Loon, lay low," and low we lay, and with 

 anxious eye we follow the line of flight. Now 

 he comes up, is rigiit over the boat, when up 

 go tlie guns, and Mr. Loon makes a mighty 

 good attempt to spring through the air, but he 

 is too late, foi- with two reports ringing out on 

 the air his spring and flight in this world is 

 over and down he comes, head over heels, and 

 hits the water with a miglity thud which sends 

 the gentle liquid splashing high up into the 

 air. We gather him in, plug him up with 

 wool, wrap in paper, and lay carefully in a 

 box that I had brought with me for that pur- 

 pose. After s])ending an hour or so and getting 

 in an occasional sliot, we decide that it is not 

 good enough, and as tlie wind had risen and 

 was very cold, calculated it would be more 

 comfortable ashore, so turning our boat we 

 made for the lauding. On the way in we 

 spotted two more Loons close to the shore and 

 pulled quietly toward them, after getting 

 within about 100 yards they dived toward us, 

 and we knew that it was their intention to get 

 outside of us, therefore we did not move but 

 stood up in tlie boat, with guns ready. In a 

 little while there was a splash and a plunge 

 right within shot, but he was too quick for us, 

 another second up comes the other, and this 

 time my eye hapiiened to catch him as lie 

 broke water and before he could dive, a charge 

 of No. 4 shot took him in head and neck, and 

 there he laid without a (juiver, stone dead. 

 We laid him to rest with tlie other and then 

 making for tlie landing pulled up our boat, 

 backed our tiajjs, aiid mad(^ for my friend 

 Hasiiford's, wiio gave us a iiearty welcome as it 

 was tliiHH! years since 1 had the jjleasure of 

 si)endiiig an evening with him and his good 

 wife before. We spent the rest of tiie day 

 wandering sibout tlu^ slioi'(>s but secured no 

 birds. 



After tea, about six o'clock, I took my gun 

 and went for a place where I liad sliot six Blue- 

 wing Duck out of eigiit in one shot three years 

 before, as 1 h'\t sure if any were about tiiey 



would show up there, as it was a favorite 

 drinking place for the Blue-wing in the times 

 gone by. I kept well under cover, and just as 

 I got to the brook I spotted a Blue-wing 

 making for the woods (he had been in the 

 brook drinking, and I had got between him 

 and the sea), so up went tlie gun and down 

 came the duck. I went and picked him up 

 and on turning around to get back to cover, 

 there were the Blue-wings coming in and 

 alighting in the brook, and just off the mouth; 

 and there was I out of shot and no way to get 

 at them, so I simply walked toward them and 

 off they went, between fifty and sixty of them 

 quacking like blazes. I laid down behind a 

 rock, as I kenw they would ci.icle back, and 

 back they came, but out of shot, and passed 

 overhead on to some other drinking ground. 

 I waited for a little while, and two more 

 coming I got in a shot, saw one tumble, marked 

 the spot and got him the next morning. 



In the morning my companion was up at 

 four o'clock, and went back to the brook, ex- 

 pecting the Shell fowl would come in to drink 

 at daylight, but none turning up he followed 

 up the shore and secured another Loon and 

 two AVidgeons. I turned out about nine, and as 

 it was blowing a living gale we could not get 

 out in the boat so shot around the shores, but 

 only got one Gray Gull and a R. B. Merganser. 

 In the afternoon, about three, we left for 

 home, and a hard time we had as the wind 

 was right down from the north, dead against 

 us, and it was hard pulling. We did not 

 strike the Dartmouth shore until after six 

 o'clock, and I was very glad to step on the 

 land. We saw none of Little Auks, or Murres, 

 and 1 was very much disappointed as I had 

 thought to have secured a good many specimens 

 for you, but it's too late now in the season and 

 I fancy they have all passed on or gone out to 

 sea? 



Speaking about Loons, are those we got the 

 young of the Noithein Diver".' If so, how is it 

 that we get none in full plumage in the winter 

 time, and how is it that in summer time we 

 get none but the old birds, and then always in 

 the fresh water lakes and in full plumage, and 

 never see either old or young at that time of 

 year in the salt water"' Do you think that 

 they are one and the same bird".' 1 have 

 stutted a pair of them, the third one my man 

 took to eat. As he says, they lay over the 

 baked goose, but I don't hanker after them 

 put up in that way, as goose is good enough for 



Yours truly, 



.1 nsfcit. 



