200 



THE OOLOGIST. 



In pictures we may admire at leasure 

 sights which have long since passed 

 away, never to appear again in the 

 same form. Common birds of the 

 present day may in a few years fre- 

 quent remote districts, never to breed 

 near us again, and should we neglect 

 these, Ave might regret it in after years. 

 Changes are taking place every year 

 and some day you will be disappointed. 

 You may visit former haunts and find 

 the sights you seek are not to be found, 

 and may appear no more where they 

 were once so common. 



Don't omit the pictures then, 



Nor the common nests neglect; 

 For we cannot apprehend 

 Just what changes to expect. 



When I beheld the picture of the nest 

 of that beautiful duck Aythya ameri- 

 cana it reminds me of a lovely morn- 

 ing, June the 21st, in fact following, a 

 dismal night with torents of rain and 

 almost continuous flashes of lightning 

 and peals of thunder; of a pleasant 

 walk through the woods to where the 

 little canoe lay moored; the far distant 

 drumming of the Woodpecker; the live- 

 ly warble of the Wren and other wood- 

 land melodies; a pleasant ride o'er a 

 rippling lake, bordered on either side 

 with wide strips of rush and sedge, and 

 the departure of a gay pair as I ap- 

 proached their nest, which was discov- 

 ered the previous daj'. 



I can imagine how contented they 

 Avere with their lot (indeed they could 

 be proud of such a situation.) How 

 the female gathered the material from 

 the surrounds and the down from her 

 bi'east while her mate was alert to 

 warn her of appoaching danger. Bull- 

 rushes {Scirpus lacustris) were growing 

 around and their bowing heads shel- 

 tered it from the noon-day sun. 

 Through them they could look far off to 

 the eastward to watch the dawning of 

 day and the rising sun. On either side, 

 and not a rod away, was open water, 

 where they could frolic or swim to 



their heart's content. What a grand 

 summer's home it must have been! 



When I behold that little picture of 

 the nest of Circus hudsonms the mind 

 reflects to a glorious evening when the 

 last diverging radiance of the sun was 

 gleaming over the western hills and 

 little birds were singing their evening 

 songs in praise of a magnificent sunset. 



At this time (June 18th) I was return- 

 ing from a photographic tour in an ad- 

 jacent county, pondering over the 

 events of the day and the fine scenery 

 which I had viewed, and admiring the 

 sunset. While nearing a small marsh 

 in and about which many species of 

 sedge were grooving, and those of the 

 previous year still standing, (around 

 which the road led.) My attention was 

 drawn towards two female Marsh 

 Hawks, Avhich were slowly sweeping 

 about it in search of food. KnoAving I 

 had barely time to reach my present 

 destination before dark, and not caring 

 to be caught out on a strange road 

 which had so groAvn up to grass that it 

 Avould have been almost impossible to 

 have folloAved at night. I Avatched 

 them closely Avhile the horse plodded 

 aAvay. We had probably gone 80 rods 

 when one of them rested her wings for 

 an instant and like a shot vanished from 

 view some 40 rods in the rear. I had 

 no trouble in finding the spot for it Avas 

 Avell marked by a patch of sedge, much 

 taller than the rest and of the previous 

 year's growth; but did not flush the 

 bird until I Avas within ten feet of her. 

 There AA'as the nest in a wreath of anint 

 Avith sedges to obstruct the view. Un- 

 excelled in form, neatness and compos- 

 ition by any nest of this species that I 

 ever saAv, and the site Avas so well se- 

 lected, so balmy and shady yet fanned 

 by passing breezes on a sultry day. 



The other reminds me of. a cloudy 

 day in June, 1889 and a long ride over 

 the prairies dotted with beautiful floAA^- 

 ers, spiderAVorths, tradescantia vary- 

 ing from Avhite and rose color to pur- 



