Michigan Ornithological Club 5 



ground is covered with a thick growth of sweet-fern (Coniptonia asplcnifolia, 

 Ail.) and hlne-berry bushes (I'accinium), with occasional plants of the dwarf 

 morning-glory {Coiivolvulus spitliamaciis L.), harebell {Campanula rotundi- 

 folia L.), and the wood lily (Lilinin philadclphicuni L.). 



This country is wild and very interesting, and the songs of many birds 

 cheered me, as with note-book in hand 1 tioated along. I saw a hooded 

 merganser {LopJiudytcs cucullatus Linn.) with her brood of young. These 

 young were not able to fiy ; but they tried it, and by using both feet and 

 wings kept out of gun-shot until tired out — then they hid under bushes 

 along the bank until I passed. The female then rose and flew back to 

 them, i made a list of forty species of birds observed the first day. By ti 

 P. Al. 1 reached a fishing camp, "Camp Douglas''; here I spent the night, 

 ha\ing made thirty-five miles by water. It is eighteen miles overland to 

 Roscommon. Leaving "Camp Douglas" the next morning I floated on, find- 

 ing the river wider, deeper, and somewhat swifter. On the banks were 

 noticed two oaks, red oak (Qiicrcus rubra Linn.) and yellow oak (Quercus 

 lincluria Bartr.), also wild red cherry (Pruiius pciuisyhanica Linn.) and 

 aspen (Populus trcinuloidcs Michx.). hi places cedar trees overhang the 

 river and, due to undercutting, have settled into the water, making "sweep- 

 ers.'' These have to be watched or they will overturn one's boat. As I 

 glided along I threw a cast of flies — "Red Ibis." "Dark Coachman" and 

 "White Miller" — and took "here and there a lusty trout, and here and there 

 a grayling." I'his was once the Grayling river, but since the introduction of 

 the rainbow and German brown trout the grayling has become scarce. 

 Swinging around a sharp bend I once came suddenly upon a pair of bald 

 eagles (Haliactus Icucocephalus Linn.) also fishing. A few great blue herons 

 (Ardea herodius Linn.) fly up as T near them, and some crows (Corvus 

 aiiicricanus And.), noisy as usual. Cedar birds (Anipclis ccdroruni Vieill.) 

 are very common. At G P. M. I neared the Butler Bridge, a new steel 

 structure over the Au Sable in Oscoda county, and the end of my journey, 

 by w^ater sixty miles, by road it is thirty-five. Hauling my boat upon the 

 shore. I searched for a place to stay, near the home of the bird I came so 

 far to find. 



On July 2d, at A. M., I started out and crossing the river bottom I 

 came to a steep terrace which forms the edge of the "Norway" plains. This 

 slope is very wet. and in places fine springs seep out. Here also is a dense 

 growth of cedar with tamarack near the foot of the terrace. Fir, balm of 

 Gilead and birch make up the timber. Climbing this slope I found a rather 

 level plain with scattering Norway and jack pines. In places these have 

 been cut off, and in their stead there has sprung up a more or less thick 

 growth of small jack pines, yellow oak and poplar (Populus grandidentata 

 Michx.). The ground is covered with a mat of wintergreen (Gaultheria 

 procuiuhois L.). sweetfern and trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens L.). I 

 was walking slowly through this, watching the junco (Junco hyemalis Linn.), 

 song sparrow (Mclospiza fasci'afa Gmel.). chipping sparrow (Spiaella so- 

 cialis Wils.) and the vesper sparrow (Poocactes gramincus Gmel.) — the most 

 common bird of these plains — when suddenly I heard a new song, loud, 



