THE LOON. 47 



head; I shot at him but he was too far away. I pushed 

 my way into the timber and up. a hill. As I reached the 

 top I saw a flock of cowbirds leave the ground a little 

 lower down and descending secured three of them. 



Soon a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker swept by and lit on 

 a tree but instantly seeing me retired around the trunk, 

 leaving only his head exposed to view, at this I fired and 

 down he came whirling around as only a bird shot in the 

 head can. I hastened and picked him up before he, in 

 his struggles, could soil his plumage with the blood from 

 the wound. About 150 yards from this place I came 

 out on a road and crossing it found the ground higher 

 and covered with large trees. There was little or no 

 undergrowth and I could see for a considerable distance 

 ahead. Birds however were scarce. Found a stream of 

 ice cold water and in attempting to cross it on a decayed 

 log went in and got both feet wet. 1 soon struck a road 

 used by lumbermen while carrying logs from the woods. 

 This led me through a number of clearings and finally 

 out of the woods and into a piece of low ground sur- 

 rounded on three sides by tamarack and other swam}) 

 loving trees, while the fourth side was a marsh of reeds 

 through which a road had been made. The place smelt 

 strongly of skunk and I kept a sharp look-out in^the hopes 

 of seeing one. I had walked a long ways and was tired 

 so climbing to the top, of a fence, sat down to rest, 

 (to be continued.) 



