34 THE SEMI-ANNUAL. 



Without more ado we waded in. The first find was a ditch, 

 waist deep. Ugh ! The water was chilly. A few steps farther 

 brought me to a nest containing three eggs of the Virginia Rail 

 'that had been flooded. 



During the day we found a number of nests that were de- 

 serted on account of high water. 



A short distance from this a Sora's nest was found, with five 

 fresh eggs. It was made entirely of dead grass, and fourteen 

 inches above the water m a wild rose bush. Two rods to the 

 left in a small clump of willows, close to the creek, T found a 

 nest with six fresh eggs of the Coot. The nest was a low. heap 

 of dried cat's-tail drawn together without much order of arrange- 

 ment, the eggs resting in a shallow depression. 



Six and three-quarter's hours of steady tramping, disclosed ^ 

 large number of Sora's nests wirh imcompleted sets, and empty 

 nests of the Marsh Wren, but not a single duck's nest. 



From this day's work I learned not to wear a pair of new 

 rubber boots while wading in mud and water. A pair of leaky 

 shoes — more holes than shoe — is the proper kind of foot gear. 



June 1st found us again at this meadow. The water was 

 much lower than at the time of our previous visit. Five and 

 a half hours of wading brought us as many sets o Sora's eggs 

 as we desired. The largest set was fourteen, the smallest seven. 



The sinaller sets were fresh, or else evenly incubated, while the 

 larger sets were in all stages : some fresh, others very far ad- 

 vanced. 



Secured one set of Am. Bittern, four fresh eggs. One set of 

 Long-billed Marsh Wren and two incomplete sets. 



While wading in the woods at one end of the meadow, I 

 noticed broken shells of ducks eggs near the foot of a soft maple. 

 Looking through the top of the tree I could see a dead limb 

 broken oft" about three feet from the trunk. My climber went 

 up and reported that the cavity in the limb was about two feet 

 deep, showed long use and contained nearly a hat-full of fresh 

 duck feathers. In the bottom of the hole was a small quantity 

 of old, decayed feathers. Next year that tree will bear the 

 epitaph of a set of W^ood Duck's eggs that have gone to their 

 long repose, beside a set of purchased ones in a drawer in one of 

 my cabinets. 



