THE O. & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 5 
found. Also found and secured several sets of Kingbirds’ eggs ; the 
complement being three or four. With these I returned to the boat, 
glad to escape the harsh and almost deafening noise made by the male 
Red-wings. 
A mile further down, Herriford was put ashore to search along the 
edge of the lake to see what he could find. 
Patches and strethes of flag now began to appear, and as we moved 
along an occasional coot would spring out and fly towards the center 
of the lake. As we neared our destination they became more nu- 
merous, and joining each other, formed little flocks out in the lake— 
keeping just out of range of my gun. Wishing to procure one or 
two for skins, I kept a sharp lookout for a shot, which presently came 
by Herriford flushing one from the reeds near the shore. As it rose 
on the wing, at a distance of filty yards, I let it have a charge of No. 
4’s and it dropped. But I had aimed better than I had anticipated, 
fur another coot, sitting in the water a little further on, also fell dead 
and H. who happened to be just in range, was also besprinkled. with 
shot ; but the charge, having spent its force, did him no harm. 
Securing the dead coots, I now commenced searching for their nests, 
wading into the flag, which came up to my shoulders. I soon came 
to nests, and the first one found contained eight beautifully speckled 
eggs. A few yards away, another nest contained six, ard close by, 
another contained four, and in fact, nests were on every side. My 
exclamations of delight so excited Herriford, that without waiting to 
remove boots or breeches he rushed into the sedgy lake and was svon 
rewarded for his temerity by.catching a toe in the thick moss: that 
grew at the bottom, and fell headlong into the water, here about two 
feet deep. But nothing daunted by this ducking, he blew the water 
from his nose and mouth, and was soon helping me fill the basket, 
which I carried, with eggs. There was no trouble to find nests. They 
were everywhere, many containing incomplete sets. These we did 
~ not molest, for I had projected ariother visit to this place in about a 
. week or ten days: but this visit was never made, professional busi- 
ness preventing. We soon gathered all the eggs that I wished, as I 
did not care to act the part of the ““Great American Ege Hog.” 
The eggs of each set were carefully given a set mark before being 
deposited in the basket. They were then carried to the boat, when 
Green packed them with oats in boxes, to be blown after returning 
home. Many of the nests were in water two feet deep, and yet could 
