BIRDS OF YARMOUTH AND VICINITY ALLEN. 69 



and both the old birds were much distressed, calling 

 mournfully all night. We visited the nest on the 

 evening of the 26th and found that the lake had 

 risen so that the eggs were half submerged. One 

 old bird was observed a few yards away. More 

 rain followed and next day the eggs were completely 

 submerged. We neither heard nor saw either old 

 bird that day. or thereafter except at a distance and 

 at long intervals. The fact that loons nest so near 

 the water's edge and that they are thus exposed 

 to danger by sudden elevations of the water may 

 in part answer the question asked by one naturalist — 

 Why such wary, strong birds with apparently so 

 few natural enemies do not increase in numbers. 

 July 28, 1911, on the lake at Deerfield, two old 

 loons were noticed close in shore in a gravelly cove. 

 Closer observation showed that they were attended 

 by two very small young. We judged the latter 

 to be not more than a week old. We immediately 

 pushed off in the boat, and rowed between the 

 loons and the open lake. One old bird immediately 

 dived and reappeared out in the lake. He(?) soon 

 disappeared. The other old bird remained with 

 the young until very closely pressed to the shore 

 when she too went under but reappeared just 

 outside the boat where she remained to watch 

 proceedings. The youngsters, when left alone, 

 immediately submerged themselves, reappearing in 

 the same place. This they continued to do for 

 some time, remaining under each time, on an average, 

 fourteen seconds, and above, two or three seconds 

 if undisturbed. Any sudden motion on our part, 

 however, would send them down immediately. 

 They were constanth' watching for an opening, and 

 soon separated, swimming rapidly along the shore, 



