Mar., 1920 A RETURN TO THE DAKOTA LAKE REGION 69 
the cows, they let us creep along the fence near enough to make sure that their 
flock was almost unmixed. Occasionally one, perhaps a sentinel, would stretch 
up a long neck to look at us; and finally they all rose and flew. Enormous 
flocks of Blue-winged Teal also shifted back and forth as we watched, the blue 
wing patches showing well as they soared down on their spread wings. 
Suddenly a black looking Hawk with a face stripe, apparently a Duck 
Hawk, flew swiftly in and to our horror darted down and seized a Coot. As 
he rose to fly off with it, the Coot slipped from his claws, when, swinging 
around with the swift wing beats of a Falcon, the little Hawk flew down again, 
bringing up what was probably another Coot, this time successfully flying off 
with it to a fence bordering the lake. When we followed, he carried his quarry 
still farther away, and proceeded with his meal. Meanwhile we discovered two 
fence posts apparently frequented by a Marsh Hawk, as remains of a rabbit’s 
foot and pieces of ground squirrel skin were found, good evidence, as the Duck 
Hawk feeds almost exclusively on birds, while the Marsh Hawk feeds mainly 
on mammals. 
While the swiftness and dash of the blackish Duck Hawk doubtless ex- 
plained his surprising the Coot, we wondered if he had been helped by the fact 
that the waterfowl were used to the presence of dark-bodied Crows which had 
a roost on the island, and some of which at the moment were drinking on the 
shore close to the scene of the tragedy. That the Ducks do not discriminate 
too nicely was suggested when they acted afraid of a Marsh Hawk to whom 
they generally pay no attention, apparently because the Duck Hawk flying 
around in the vicinity had upset their nerves. 
Shovellers and Canvasbacks were easily recognized among the brown 
hordes, and from a neighboring lake two beautiful Green-winged Teal were 
brought in. Pied-bills, Eared, and perhaps Horned Grebes, Bittern, Black-. 
erowned Night Herons, and Killdeer were seen along Island Lake, and what 
was probably a Sora was heard, late though it was. Kildeer notes were heard 
over-head, one day, and nine swift travelling birds came in sight, but as we 
turned to watch their retreating forms, the nine white spots faded out in the 
sky. Others were heard by my friend on a moonlight night, passing over on 
their long journey. 
| Besides the common birds noted at the other lakes during the summer, 
such as Goldfinches, Vesper Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Barn Swallows, Cat- 
birds, House Wrens, Meadowlarks, Crows, Red-winged Blackbirds, Mourning 
Doves, and Flickers, a Nighthawk, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a Yellow- 
rumped Warbler were seen, together with three Turkey Vultures that cireled 
around in the sky low enough for us to note the black and gray pattern of the 
underside of their wings. Two brown Marsh Hawks, apparently young of the 
year, frequently came close to us aS we sat quietly beside their hunting 
grounds, and one of them once gave a thin, whistled pebe, pebe, as it flew to- 
ward its brother. Forever beating the marshes, the appropriateness of their 
name was felt strongly in this lake region. 
The familiars of the lake region, the Franklin Gulls, abounded here as 
elsewhere. In one place on plowed ground I saw what at a distance I took for 
a slough filled with white water, but which on approach proved solidly massed 
Gulls! As at Sweetwater, the Gulls drifted across the country at sunset toward 
some favorite lake where they could safely spend the night. Hundreds were 
met with in our pasture flying, or perhaps rather sauntering, back and forth, 
