93 



a daily necessity; and because, unlike the 



coots which are often found in great numbers 



on the same shoals, they dislike tossing about ^ tO//d "Duck 



on the waves for any length of time. But 



late in the autumn they desert the ponds 



and are seldom seen there again until spring, 



even though the ponds are open. They are 



very shy about being frozen in, and prefer 



to get their fresh water at the mouths of 



creeks and springs. 



With all their caution, — and they are very 

 good weather prophets, knowing the times 

 of tides and the approach of storms, as well 

 as the days when fresh water freezes, — they 

 sometimes get caught. Once I found a flock 

 of five in great distress, frozen into the thin 

 ice while sleeping, no doubt, with heads 

 tucked under their wings. At another time 

 I found a single bird floundering about with 

 a big lump of ice and mud attached to his 

 tail. He had found the insects plentiful in 

 some soft mud, at low tide, and stayed there 

 too long with the thermometer at zero. 



Night is their feeding time ; on the sea- 

 coast they fly in to the feeding grounds just 



