38 



THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



could not have done with an ordinarj' 

 wooden boat. She has paid for herself ten 

 times over, as I have been able to collect a 

 lot of rare eggs amongst the islands in the 

 lonely lakes of North-West Canada. These 

 I could not have secured without the aid of 

 this boat. I can put her together in five 

 minutes, and in making a portage from one 

 lake to another she can easil}' be carried. T 

 have had her three years now, and this past 

 summer slie did splendid service on Long 

 Lake, Lake Manitoba and Shoal Lake. 

 I take this opportunity of recommending 

 the Osgood boat to anyone going on col- 

 lecting expeditions. In fact, I would just 

 as soon think of going away on my annual 

 trips without my gun as leave my canvas 

 boat behind. 



Dippie helped me to blow the Scoter 

 Ducks' eggs, and soon afterwards our 

 teamster was seen coming across the prairie 

 with the wagon drawn by two mares, with 

 foals running by their mothers' sides. 

 After dinner we packed up and returned to 

 Long Lake. The country between Lake 

 Manitoba and Long Lake is well wooded, 

 and offers a safe retreat for deer, wolves and 

 a few bear and moose. This district is 

 easily reached from Winnipeg, and sports- 

 men can have all the fishing and shooting 

 they want. 



On the return journey to Long Lake we 

 noticed many flowers had corne into bloom 

 while we had been camped out at Lake 

 Manitoba. The prairie was one brilliant 

 crimson mass of tiger lilies, while in the 

 woods the yellow mocassin flovvers grew 

 very luxuriously. The two foals were tired 

 out long before they reached home, for they 

 had traveled thirty-five miles that day by 

 their mothers' .side. We enjoyed a large 

 pike for supper, as we had brought three 

 monsters with us from Lake Manitoba. 

 The following day we visited the Canvas- 

 back Duck's nest, which now contained 

 .seven eggs. This is about the usual num- 

 ber, as this Duck never lays more than ten 

 eggs, like the Paintail, Shoveller, Teal and 



other Ducks, which lay from nine to four- 

 teen eggs. I photographed the nest and 

 eggs, which was built as usual in the 

 centre of a clump of growing rushes, clo.se 

 to the water. It was a large structure of 

 pieces of reed and abundantly lined with 

 down. The eggs are easily recognised by 

 their large size and ashy-green color. 



We visited the Black Tern colony and 

 took some fine clutches, and also collected 

 sets of Western Savannah Sparrow, Clay- 

 colored Sparrow and other common species; 

 also in the evening Dippie took a clutch of 

 twelve eggs of the Blue- winged Teal. They 

 were quite fresh, showing how late birds 

 nest in this northern region. 



Packing up my baggage and specimens I 

 left Dippie and returned to Toronto, having 

 spent a most enjoyable season amongst the 

 happy hunting grounds of the Canadian 

 Nor '-West. 



F. Dippie remained a month longer at 

 Long Lake, until he was driven home by 

 the myriads of mosquitoes and bulldog flies, 

 which are a terrible plague to man and 

 beast, for during the summer they make life 

 miserable. 



After I returned to the east Dippie 

 secured specimens of young birds m down 

 of the Canvas-back, Shoveller and American 

 Golden-eye, Horned and Eared Grebes, 

 etc., and also obtained fine sknis of Least 

 Sandpiper, Semipalmated and Stilt Sand- 

 pipers, Yellow- legs, etc., showing that 

 several species of these northern birds stay 

 and spend the summer in Manitoba, and it 

 is safe to conclude a few scattered pairs re- 

 main and nest in the Province, although 

 the majority go further north to breed. 



"You are giving your .subscriber.s compound in- 

 terest on their investment" — E. ylrnold. 



I IJKK the NiDioi.oGisT very much and think 

 it shouhl have the hearty support of all naturalists 

 and lovers of Nature. -'-//rtrri' Austin, Halifax, 



N. S. 



"I SEK you begin your second volume with 

 flying colors." — A. M. Farmer. 



