-4 



THE OOLOGIST. 



among the briars and white conoolou- 

 lus and. other vines, we proceeded to 

 search for Grebes nests in the marsh 

 and soon found two nests of Holboell's 

 Grebe containing five eggs in each, 

 which is tlie regular number. The 

 nests consisted of a mass of decayed 

 damp weeds and aquatic plants, two 

 feet in diameter and the eggs are al- 

 ways covered with weeds in the ab- 

 sence of the female. 



After dinner we drove three miles 

 around the lake to another peninsula 

 and were caught in a thunder storm on 

 the way, so we took shelter at a settler's 

 cabin, from whom we learned that the 

 Pelicans nested on Reed Island which 

 lies three miles out in the lake off the 

 point. 



As soon as the storm was over we 

 drove to the end- of the peninsula and 

 could see several islands out in the lake 

 and as the water was calm and it was 

 only five o'clock we decided to row out 

 to the islands. So my man hobbled the 

 horse's four feet with a piece of rope so 

 that he could not run away while I put 

 my canvas boat together and taking my 

 gun and camera we pushed from the 

 shore. As we approached nearer the 

 first island I saw it was white over with 

 Pelicai.s. The birds remained on the 

 island until we approached quite close, 

 they kept perfectly motionless with 

 their heads erect staring at us until the 

 boat touched the island and then they 

 arose in a mass and the noise from their 

 wings was like the roar of a torrent. 

 They flew above our heads with their 

 long necks and beaks stretched out in 

 front and then forming into a line they 

 flew away gracefully towards Reed Is- 

 land. 



In a moment both of us were on the 

 island and there a sight met our gaze 

 that would gladeu the heart of any 

 oologist, for the ground was dotted all 

 over with eggs of the Pelican, Cormor- 

 ant and Herring Gall. The Pelicans 

 ■nests consisted of mounds of sand hol- 



lu wed at the top and the eggs resting 

 on a few bits of weed and small pebbles. 

 The Double-crested Cormorants nests 

 were made of twigs and weeds, and the 

 nests of the Ameiican Herring Gull 

 were large structures of weeds and 

 moss. 



I took a photograph of one corner of 

 this small island where the nests were 

 thickest, and then we proceeded to col- 

 lect a sei'ies of eggs of the three species 

 and all the eggs proved to be fresh, for 

 no doubt this was their second laying, 

 as the storm of June 12th must have 

 washed every egg oft" this low sandy is- 

 land. 



After taking sufficient eggs we rowed 

 across the channel to Reed Island, which 

 we found to be about three-quarters of 

 a mile in length and swarming with 

 bird life. In the elevated parts of the 

 island amongst the dry grass we found 

 nests and eggs of Gad wall, Bald pate and 

 Mallard, and on another elevated gras- 

 sy ridge we found thousands of Fors- 

 ter's Terns breeding, we secured a fine 

 series of their eggs and then after tak- 

 ing the eggs we bad collected back to 

 the boat, we decided to walk around the 

 island. We found some portions very 

 marshy and had to wade across several 

 channels. On reaching the south end of 

 theisland and emerging from a thicket of 

 rushes we beheld another immense col- 

 ony of Pelicans on a sand bar, but on 

 arriving there we saw no signs of any 

 more Pelican's nests. The nests of the 

 American Herring Gull were scattered 

 all over the island and we only took 

 about a dozen clutches of extra well 

 marked sets. 



As it was beginning to get dusk I 

 looked at my watch and :'ound it was 

 half past nine, this caused us to get a 

 move on for we had three miles to row 

 to shore and a wind had sprung up and 

 a swell had appeared on the lake. It 

 took us nearly half an hour to reach 

 the boat as we were heavily loaded with 



