1038 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



LOCKED MOOSE ANTLERS 



volume and had penetrated the creek bottom, 

 the ducks sought refuge in the water. They 

 seemed to be aware that in this manner they 

 might be safe from attack. But the eagles 

 had developed a plan that provided them with 

 ducks whenever they needed them; and they 

 pursued it without wetting either their feet 

 or feathers. 



Selecting a point of vantage in some tree 

 below the blind, one of the adult birds would 

 swoop swiftly down and fly lazily just above 

 the surface of the water the entire length of 

 the pool a distance, perhaps, of a quarter of 

 a mile. 



The confusion of the ducks was tremendous. 

 They spread out toward the banks in jumbled 

 masses, leaving a long stretch of open water 

 in the wake of the flying bird. Some dived, 

 and others scrambled out into the bushes on 

 either side. This performance was repeated 

 by the eagles several times in succession and 

 then the alarmed water-fowl were allowed to 

 settle down unmolested. 



As the eagles never attempted to make a 

 strike while flying over the water, we con- 

 cluded that there must be a sequel to the 

 water-way flight. Leaving the blind, we crept 

 through the bushes on the creek bank and 

 there learned the consummation of their 

 plan. 



As long as the eagles perched in the trees, 

 the ducks gave them not the slightest atten- 

 tion. When they ran out on to the banks, 

 the eagles were lost to sight and the confidence 

 of the ducks returned. Forgetting their 

 recent fright, they scattered through the 

 bushes feeding on the small clumps of grass or 

 tender shoots that grew in the sheltered places. 



LOCKED MULE DEER ANTLERS 



The crafty hunters then watching for a favor- 

 able opportunity could swoop down through 

 the branches, pick out an unsuspecting duck 

 and have no fear of a wetting. 



From the masses of feathers lying about 

 we concluded that the eagles were quite 

 successful. 



Our Wild Quail. — The stray flock of quail 

 that appeared over a year ago in the Park — 

 in several places — has reappeared again this 

 summer. 



On several mornings and evenings they have 

 been heard calling up and down the plantation 

 west of the Red Deer Range, but they are 

 still very shy. 



An Odd Stork.— Every one doubtless thinks 

 of a stork as being possessed of long legs. 

 This is a characteristic shared by many other 

 species of widely diverse families, but the 

 black-necked stork is certainly one of the 

 most remarkable of birds in this respect, at 

 least. Only the flamingo is able to approach 

 it in conparative length of limb, and as the 

 stork is considerably larger, the peculiarity 

 is the more emphasized. As with many other 

 wading birds, the bare scales of the tarsus are 

 continued on most. of the next joint. This, of 

 course, is a great advantage in wading, as 

 the scales permit the slim legs to slip through 

 the water much more easily than if they were 

 covered with draggled feathers, besides in- 

 creasing the comfort of the wader. 



This is by no means a common bird in 

 collections, and we are rather proud of our 

 fine specimen, which has been in the Park 

 since September 22, 1911. L. S. C. 



