138 



THE OOLOGIST. 



1885, and I fouiicl tlie Crested Grebes 

 numerous at Marquette, and often 

 Avatched them as they swam about the 

 liarl)or within the breakwater, and 

 found them decidely interesting in 

 tlieir habits. 



They appear to havtr h)st much of 

 their usual timidity and gained in wari- 

 ness and cunning by frequenting the 

 waters of this busy harbor, and they 

 pay little attention to the huge lake 

 vessels that are continually going and 

 coming, sini]jly moving out of the way 

 of passing vessels. Oft mes I have seen 

 them turn and-follow close in the wake 

 of a huge steamer as it came to or went 

 from the wharf, soon returning, how- 

 ever. 



Like most <jf the divers, its eyes is 

 exceedingly keen, and its movements 

 exceedingly'' rapid when occasion de- 

 mands it. When st;inding upon the 

 wharf, I have frequently had them 

 swim within ten or twelve rods of me, 

 always closely watching me, and, if 

 they thought I was paying too close 

 attention to them, they would suddenly 

 dive Ijeueath the waters only to reap- 

 pear in some unexpected quarter, a 

 little later. 



They are usually seen in pairs and 

 are monogamous, and I believe, mate 

 for life, possibly the surviver will re- 

 marrj" after the loss of its companion. 

 Wilfred A. Bkothekton, 



Oakland Co., Mich. 



Ichthy-Ornithological. 



Voracious Mo/oiltiiii Trout. 



Two 3^ears ago while sojourning in 

 the Williamette Vallej' in Oregon, an- 

 other young companion and myself 

 started one morning in the spring on a 

 .tramp with the intention of speiuling a 

 day on Seoggin Creek, a tributary of 

 the Tualatin River, in hopes of secur- 

 ing a line lot of Mountain Trout 



After plying the stream with our flies 

 for a couple of miles with fair success, 



we came finally to a large pool in 

 which we could see several large trout 

 swimming about in the clear mountain 

 water, but with all our seductive art of 

 fly-casting, we were unable to capture 

 any of them, and finally sat down on a 

 log in disgust to rest. 



After sitting for some time we saw 

 an old Wood Duck quietly swim out 

 from under the shelving bank and start 

 to lead her flock of young ones across 

 the pool. We could see their little red 

 feet splash in the water as they fol- 

 lowed their wily parent. Just as they 

 reached the middle of the stream, one 

 large old trout made a charge right 

 into the midst of the young ducks up- 

 setting two or three in his mad career. 

 The tirst flsh was immediately followed 

 by his comrades, each viciously attack- 

 ing the young fowls in their turn. The 

 yoimg ducks evidently were veiy much 

 surprised and terrified as they lied, 

 diving in every direction, uttering their- 

 plaintive cry of fear. The fear of the 

 young was apparentl3^ participated in 

 b}- their mother as she moved around 

 collecting her young, beating the water 

 with her wings continuously. 



Finally after some time, the trout 

 seemed to desist in disgust as we had 

 d(jne in regard to their captures The 

 parent bird prc^titing by this resx)ite- 

 gathered \\vv flock bef(n'e her and drove- 

 them down stream in great haste. The 

 only solution my friend and I c<juld 

 offer for the novel action of these trout, 

 was that the red feet of the 3"oung- 

 ducks bore a close reseuiblance to the- 

 Salmon eggs often used for tish bait by 

 Oregon fishermen; or, that these old 

 fellows had a relish for a practical joke, 

 which indeed it r<'senibled-to an oljser- 

 ver. 



Clav McNa.aiee, 

 Moscow, I(hiho. 



