THE OOLOUIST. 



157 



game bag, and that indispensable article 

 the lunch basket, arriving at the boat 

 house we loaded our truck and were soon 

 pulling across the lake to the feeding ground 

 of the ducks. Having reached the opposite 

 shore we hauled our boat out of the water 

 and proceeded through a thicket of under- 

 brush towards a blind which H. had built 

 the previous day; well ensconed here we 

 awaited developements. A little before sun- 

 rise we were rewarded. 



Whirr-r-r whir-r-r, and down came a flock 

 of teal about thirty feet from the blind. 

 "Give it to them," whispered H. I emptied 

 my right barrel while H. discharged both 

 barrels, they rose and I gave them my left 

 bringing down one, we counted five of them 

 but did not leave our place of concealment. 

 H. brought his caller into use and soon a 

 drake and two ducks dropped in before us 

 and began to paddle around, but they did'nt 

 paddle long for I had my gun to my shoul- 

 der in a twinkling, and with the first shot 

 was rewarded by seeing two turn over 

 while H. brought down the third as he was 

 seeking other quarters. I was so much ex- 

 cited I coidd hardly refrain from leaping 

 into the marsh after them, but was persuad- 

 ed better by H., who went around the 

 marsh and returned with a "punt" or flat- 

 bottomed boat with which we soon secured 

 them. Didn't they look nice? eight as fine 

 plump ducks as ever gladdened the eyes of 

 a sportsman. Although it was now only 

 ten a. m., we voted for dinner and after 

 partaking of a sumptous repast, such as 

 only Mother can put up we pulled for 

 home well pleased with our work which 

 was indeed more play than work. 



F. P. B., Martinsburgh, N. Y. 



Jottings from South Carolina. 



April 18th I collected a set of 3 thrush 

 eggs, incubation advanced, nest was situated 

 in a hollow tree about ten feet from the 

 ground; April 21st I took a set of 3 Cardinal 

 Grosbeek eggs, incubation advanced; nest 

 was about a foot from the ground and was 



made out of dried grass. April 2-ith I found 

 two Bluebirds nests with five eggs each in 

 them, incubation advansed; nest in old pine 

 trees. April 25th collected a set of three 

 Cardninal Grosbeak eggs, they were fresh; 

 the nest was about two feet from the ground 

 saw an old nest about a foot over it. 



April 27th I got one dove egg fresh ; nest 

 in a dogwood tree about twelve feet from 

 the ground. April 28th I collected a set of 

 two Golden-winged Woodpecker eggs — they 

 were fresh ; I went up to the same nest on 

 May 7th and got four eggs slightly incubated. 

 May 2d I found a Mockingbird's nest with 

 three eggs in it ; I did not take the eggs but 

 knew they were fresh because I had seen the 

 nest about a week before with nothing in it. 

 I found a Tomtit nest with young ones iu it. 

 I found a Bluebird nest with five eggs in it, 

 incubation advanced. May 7th found a 

 House Wren nest in a pine tree with young 

 ones. Collected a set of two Cardinal Gros- 

 beak eggs ; they were fresh. 



C. M. F., Greenville S. C. 



Sparrows Outwitting a Rat. 



I was watching our neighbor, Mr. C — 

 preparing his grass-plot for the coming sum- 

 mer after spreading a large quantiy of oats 

 and covering it lightiy with soil, while thus 

 engaged a stray sparrow chanced to alight 

 on the fence, and after watching him for a 

 short time uttered a few sharp notes which 

 hastily called all his fellow sparrows in hear- 

 ing to him, he joyously told of his observa- 

 tions and they chirped and twittered as if 

 impatient for him to be gone, as soon as he 

 turned his back down they came, my atten- 

 tion was called away for a few minutes but 

 a loud and noisy chattering soon brought 

 me to the window again, there in the midst 

 of the sparrows a large brown rat stood, the 

 sparrows endeavoring to drive him away, 

 but he did not scare worth a cent, by this 

 time many people were looking out of the 

 windows, the chattering of the sparrows be- 

 ing so noisy. The rat remained in full 

 possession of the ground, till one sparrow 



