MAY. 113 



dive was successful. He found safe shelter in a submerged 

 cranny to which I could not reach. 



Other species — usually smaller — were also seen, and 

 everywhere on the hot, sunny surface of the bare rocks the 

 short, square-headed jumpers were exceedingly abundant. 

 They were not easily caught, having a trick of walking 

 side wise and backward, as well as giving forward leaps to 

 a considerable distance. Such as I brushed into the water 

 were quite disconcerted, and more than one fell a prey to 

 the great rosy-finned chubs that leaped above the surface 

 as they caught them. 



Into one more retired and wild recess than all the 

 others, I found my way early in the morning of May 18th, 

 and the novelties of the spot were too many to give less 

 than the day to its study and exploration. The prelimi- 

 nary row of some five miles, often where the lake was 

 three miles wide, was of itself thoroughly enjoyable, al- 

 though the wind was dead ahead and the water roughened 

 until angry white-caps flecked its surface. For more than 

 an hour no sound was borne to us save the rippling of the 

 waves against the boat's prow ; but who asks for sweeter 

 music at such a time ? The air, too, had all the snap and 

 sparkle of the waters, and mere living to breathe it was a 

 luxury. 



The wind fell as the boat neared shore, and now the 

 oven-birds — and there seemed a legion of them — rang out 

 their bell-toned emphasis. For the first time, too, to be 

 positive of it, I heard the lisping but sweet song of six or 

 seven notes of the Blackburnian warbler. These exqui- 

 site birds were really abundant all that day, in the thicket 

 of dwarfish aspens and the tangled undergrowth beneath 

 that crowded the ravine between two jutting rocks ; and, 

 as if to greet me, these birds came to the front row of 

 trees, and scanned me closely while I landed. They were 

 8 



