Jan., 1918 A RETURN TO THE DAKOTA LAKE REGION 25 



that seemed headed for the top of our world ! But my own field was rich 

 enough for one season. During the summer I visited five lakes, and while 

 working on the Sweetwater chain, where I spent most of the summer, in spite 

 of my very local, restricted work and the fact that in my absorption in water 

 birds I paid little attention to land birds, I listed about eighty resident and 

 summer resident species, including twelve or possibly thirteen species of Ducks, 

 and five Grebes — all that occur in the United States except the Mexican one 

 found only in southern Texas. 



The Sweetwater chain numbers some five or six lakes, varying with the 

 height of water that floods or leaves dry their connecting links. The northwest 

 lake of the chain, on which I was fortunate enough to find a real farmhouse 

 home for the greater part of the summer was one of the largest, being about 

 seven miles long by three wide. Across the lake could be seen the grain eleva- 

 tors of the small towns of Webster and Sweetwater, both on the line of the 

 short Farmers' Railroad, running north from Devil's Lake. A hunting pass at 

 the foot of the lake with a lodge leased at one time by Louis Hill, now president 

 of the Great Northern Railroad, separated this lake from the next of the west- 

 ern series, or more strictly connected it, for the three western lakes were con- 

 nected by ditches cut through their passes. 



1. ALONG OUR SHORE LINE 



Our lake, with a sandy beach for the main northern and eastern shore line 

 and a marshy border below us through which large herds of pastured horses 

 and cattle waded about at will, was less popular than others of the chain, and 

 the birds seen were generally too far out or too wary to be watched to advant- 

 age ; but occasionally I was amply repaid for a visit to the shore. 



The afternoon of my arrival, June 19, on crossing the pasture on my way 

 to the lake, I caught sight of sandy "Flicker-tails" or ground squirrels which 

 with piping whistles and a flash of bright eyes disappeared down their holes 

 before me as if announcing that I was now in the "Flicker-tail state"; and on 

 following the cowpaths through a high growth of snowberry I was greeted not 

 only by the songs of Maryland Yellow-throats, but those of my old Dakota 

 friends, the Clay-colored Sparrows. 



Crossing the broken line of trees that accentuated the sandy ridge border- 

 ing the lake shore I looked out over the water, and to my astonishment the 

 first Ducks I saw were a pair of the big northern sea Ducks, the White-winged 

 Scoters, whose southern breeding limit is Stump Lake. While they also breed 

 at Devil's Lake, they had not been recorded from the Sweetwater chain and I 

 had contemplated returning to Stump Lake to watch them. Here they were 

 with all their ear marks, big bodied, flat headed, one black, one dark brownish, 

 characteristically lying prone on the w^ater ; and as if to make assurance doubly 

 sure, one of them flipped up a wing so that its white patch showed. 



The next day I discovered a black Scoter in a tule bay by himself, and 

 while I looked a second black one flew in and started to light not far away. 

 As he went down the Master of the Bay made a rush at him, splashing the water 

 white in his fury. The nesting season must be approaching, I said to myself, 

 and noted with satisfaction that there were plenty of snowberry bushes near 

 the shore for good nesting sites. Two days later, between storms, when a strong 

 south wind was blowing across the lake, I went down to see what the Scoters 

 were doing, for when inland Ducks take to the sheltered bays, these sea Ducks 

 go out to ride the waves. There they were, quickly recognized by their flat 



