THE HOODED MERGANSER. 



419 



meanwhile, flies back toward the intruder, 

 imitating all the actions of a winged duck 

 and uttering a loud croak at intervals. 

 This cry is repeated when, the danger be- 

 ing over, she collects her scattered brood. 

 I have often sent my canoe in a wide circle 

 to save a mother duck this anxiety, and 

 have watched her convoy her little fleet 

 away in safety. 



Unlike the larger mergansers, this is not 

 an uneatable duck, but is, in my opinion, 

 as good as a scaup or bufflehead. 



The iris is yellow in the male hooded 

 merganser, and hazel in the female. The 

 under mandible in the female is generally 

 ochre yellow; feet in both sexes generally 

 olive gray; in adult males sometimes 

 tinged with ochraceous. 



AMATEUR PHOTO BY H. W. STONE. 



WAITING FOR A NIBBLE. 



"Pa, do any miracles ever happen any 



more r 



"Yes; one happened to me last night. I 

 told your ma why I was late getting home 

 and she believed me."— Chicago Times- 

 Herald. 



