264 GOOSANDER. 
As to the dog, we need him not; so lie thee down, Baron, until I re- 
turn. I was always fond of ‘paddling my own canoe,” and I never 
met with a single accident so long as I managed it myself; but on 
more occasions than one I have been turned out as gently as one turns 
himself in bed, and having put the frail bark to rights, have assisted. 
the awkward fellow who had caused the disaster, dived for his gun and 
my own, and conducted him to the camp to dry his garments. There- 
fore, be quiet, and fear nothing. See! what’s that? Nothing, friend, 
but the head of a musk-rat. But look there, how swiftly swims that 
beautiful Loon! Heed him not; have I not already told you all that 
I know about him? How smooth and silvery are the pure waters, 
how beautiful those tall trees! The dogwood is in full bloom, so are 
the maples, whose rich red blossoms cluster on the twigs. Here we 
are just entering the rushes of this little island. Get out, and wade to 
the shore with all possible gentleness; or allow me to do so; for -to 
lighten our slight bark, one of us must get into the water. Softly we 
advance as I pull the canoe by the bow ; but now, squat, for here are 
tracks of the Goosander. There now lies the female close before us. 
She thinks we have not seen her, for she crouches closer upon her eggs. 
Alarm her not, or she will soon depart. There she croaks, and scram- 
bling off through the tall grass, flies off on rapid wings. Look at the 
nest ! count the eggs if you choose, but allow me, if you please, to de- 
seribe them. 
The islands on which the Goosander is wont to breed are mostly 
small, as if selected for the purpose of allowing the sitting bird to get 
soon to the water in case of danger. The nest is very large, at times 
raised seven or eight inches on the top of a bed of all the dead weeds 
which the bird can gather in the neighbourhood. Properly speaking, 
the real nest, however, is not larger than that of the Dusky Duck, and 
is rather neatly formed externally of fibrous roots, and lined round the 
edges with the down of the bird. The interior is about seven and a 
half inches in diameter, and four inches in depth. There are seldom 
more than seven or eight eggs, which measure two inches and seven- 
eighths in length, by two inches in breadth, are of an elliptical form, 
being nearly equally rounded at both ends, smooth, and of a uniform 
dull cream-colour. The young are led to the water in a few hours after 
they are hatched, and are covered with fur-like hair, of a reddish-brown 
colour about the head and neck, the hody lightish grey. They are ex- 
