Wild- Fowl of Wild- Fowl 



but here was evidently a nest out over the water. 

 For some time I pawed over that grass in vain, 

 and began to think I was mistaken, when a piece 

 of down chmging to a blade of grass caught my 

 eye. Under it was the nest, at the very bottom 

 of the high tussock. The grass met over it with- 

 out showing any opening whatever. I should never 

 have found it without flushing the bird. There 

 were ten fresh eggs, yellowish white, the color of 

 the Teals', but larger. 



Many interesting happenings followed, until in 

 time we reached the Turtle Mountain timbered 

 country, which, though interesting, did not afford 

 much in the line of Ducks. About all I saw there 

 were a few Blue-winged Teals, Redheads, Golden- 

 eyes and Mallards. With the latter I had a rather 

 amusing experience. One day I found mvself on 

 the shore of a lake in an uninhabited region, miles 

 from camp at dinner-time, and no food with me. 

 At one o'clock I was beginning to feel rather faint, 

 when a Mallard flushed from the grass just up from 

 the water, leaving six perfectly fresh eggs, evidently 

 an incomplete set. It occurred to me that this 

 was my dinner, providentially furnished. As it was 

 raining, cooking was out of the question, so I emp- 

 tied two of the eggs into my mouth, with as little 

 tasting as possible. For an hour at their place of 

 destination there was a condition of unstable equi- 

 librium. Strong will at length conquered, but 

 the appetite for raw Ducks' eggs was efifectually 

 destroyed. 



To redeem the memory of Turtle Mountain 

 Ducks' nests, however, occurred a much pleasanf^r 



185 



