A North Dakota Slough 



149 



three inches above the water, laying from eight to fifteen eggs. Sometimes 

 the nests were well concealed in thick patches of reeds, but more often 

 they were easily found. 



At the time of our visit, June 10, many of the eggs were hatching, and 

 the feeble little chicks were scrambling out into the water. They were 

 scantily covered with reddish yellow down, more reddish anteriorly and 

 more blackish posteriorly, with bright red bills. 



In this same section of the slough were numerous nests of the Pied- 

 billed Grebe, wet, soggy masses of rotten reeds and rubbish, plastered 

 together with a dark green vegetable scum, containing from five to nine 

 dull, nest -stained eggs. Sometimes the eggs were completely covered with 

 rubbish, but more often not. In one nest the young were hatched, and 

 scrambled off into the shallow water, diving like experts, but they could not 

 swim far under water and soon came to the surface again. They were 

 very prettily marked with soft black and white down, tinged with rufous on 

 the back of the head. The old birds were very shy, always disappearing 



BLACK TERN'S NEST 



before we came up, but, if we waited long enough and kept out of sight, 

 their curiosity would prompt them to come to the surface near the nest. 

 In an open, shallow portion of the slough a small colony of Black 

 Terns were hovering about, protesting vigorously at our intrusion. They 

 were exceedingly bold and courageous, darting down at us, and some- 

 times even striking us. Their note is a short, sharp "Kek," uttered 

 with great vehemence, and somewhat prolonged into a shrill scream when 



