26 THE CONDOR Vol. XX 



heads and retreating foreheads. Two or three pairs there seemed to be, but 

 some were so far out that I could not be sure. 



Scattered over the water and farther up the lake lined up along the shore 

 as a row of black spots, were a large number of Scaups. As I patrolled the 

 tree line bordering the lake they gradually worked their way down the shore, 

 some flying low over the water, their small heads and slender black necks out- 

 stretched, their white wing patches and gray blankets showing. When they 

 had all turned Stony Point with its rocks and trees, and gained the quiet wat- 

 ers of the cane-bordered bay, they lay in close sociable groups, forty in one 

 bunch, seventy-five others in sight. From my distance they all seemed to be 

 males. As they sat quietly on the water in the sun, the gray saddle was sug- 

 gested, and as they lay on one side, the white belly showed. 



When the Scaups were on the bay another day, a Redhead came swinging 

 in and lit outside the cane-bordered water front, his handsome round head and 

 black neck showing well. As the sun struck his head I was surprised, for it 

 burned like that of a Red-headed Woodpecker. The next day I saw him — or a 

 brother — swim from the bay far out across the lake, and later return — if, 

 again, he were the same bird — swimming with puffy head arched, his mate be- 

 side him. The last of August, out on the rough water of the lake I was much 

 pleased to discover a family of Redheads swimming along, six about half grown 

 young riding the waves ahead of their parents. 



Large flocks of Scaups and a few pairs of Scoters were seen on the lake a 

 number of times, and one day when hunting through the glass for a large flat- 

 headed Scoter among the small round-headed Scaups, I finally discovered one 

 swimming rapidly past the Bluebills in the direction of the shore. Just then, 

 unfortunately, my attention was called in another direction so that, if the Sco- 

 ter were on her way to her nest, I lost the opportunity to locate it. Late the 

 next afternoon, after a day of heavy east wind I found the lake almost deserted, 

 but three pairs of Scoters were riding at ease well out on the rough water, 

 brown, lurid water, ominous of the violent storm that shortly after swept down 

 over the prairie. Beyond the three pairs of White-wings a few black bobbing 

 corks may have been still other Scoters, but they were too far out to be dis- 

 tinguished. 



On one of the quiet days after the storm, a number of Scaups and two 

 pairs of Scoters were' gathered in the bay. One of the black Scoters kept 

 throwing up his head as if swallowing, and then he and his brown mate started 

 to swim slowly across the bay. She led the way, swimming on her side and 

 looking over her shoulder as if using a breast stroke. He got behind, stop- 

 ping to plume his feathers, and had to hurry after her. They disappeared 

 around Stony Point, and, presumably, stopped to feed on some green weed 

 near the surface ; for when I came up they burst away noisily, two pairs of big 

 webbed feet sticking out behind and white wing patches showing conspicu- 

 ously. The water was sparkling and a great many Ducks were scattered over 

 its surface though I could recognize only Scaups, among whom there now 

 seemed to be some females. Another time, up the curve of the shore the sand 

 was black with Scaups — solid yards of them, there appeared to be ! Not long 

 after this I left the north Sweetwater for a term of weeks, but late in August 

 had the satisfaction of seeing the second chapter of the Scoter history — a fam- 

 ily of perhaps half grown young swimming around with their parents. 



When watching ducks on the lake near sunset the first of September, 1 



