358 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



A SEPTEMBER CANOE TRIP. 



Vincent E. Gorman. 



September is an interesting month to bird-students. It is then that 

 Nature's summer freshness is turning into the gold and scarlet splen- 

 dor of autumn. The birds are stirring about after their long August 

 rest, some are singing, and all are preparing for their southern jour- 

 ney. Having passed the moulting period, they are now dressed in 

 brand-new suits. 



Such was the conditon of things in the out-door world when a friend 

 and I arrived at the "lake" one afternoon early in the month. This 

 lake was not a large body of water — perhaps half a mile long by an 

 eighth wide — and was locally called "the lake" to distinguish it from 

 smaller ones, known as "ponds". We were soon seated in my canvas 

 canoe and paddling up the lake. 



Both of us were enthusiasts in ornithology, and we now turned our 

 attention chiefly to the birds. Along the lake-side were several tele- 

 graph-wires, literally loaded with swallows. At our approach they 

 darted off, skimming close to the water with that airy, graceful flight 

 common to members of this family, and this gave us a chance to iden- 

 tify them. The tree or white-breasted species was most common, and 

 named in order of their abundance, we also saw the eave, barn and 

 bank varieties, besides the so-called chimney"swallow". 



Proceeding on, we heard the squawk of a heron, and looking up recog- 

 nized the little green species, winging rapidly toward an alder thicket. 

 Not long after, the green heron's larger relative, the American bittern, 

 was observed. As it was the first I had seen this year, I took care to 

 get a near view. It flew past with a rather slow and labored flight; it 

 was brown on the back, had long legs and neck and a wide expanse of 

 wing. A bird following the same profession as the two preceding now 

 appeared in the person of a kingfisher. He was a handsome fellow 

 with his blue back, ruddy under-parts and upright crest. After flying 

 around several times, making two or three bullet-like plunges for sun- 

 fish, he headed straight for the canoe, about a foot above the water, 

 and coming like an arrow, he shot directly toward us. When he was 

 about ten feet from us it looked as if something would happen, but 

 just as he was about to collide, he swerved aside like a flash, giving 

 his rattling alarm as he went. I have read of the extreme timidity of 

 this bird, but this one was either singularly bold or else did not see 

 where it was going. 



My friend now suggested that we should paddle up the brook that 

 filled the lake. Accordingly, we worked briskly for a few minutes and 

 found ourselves at its mouth. Here the spotted turtles peeped curious- 



