66
Lake Umbagog.
1897
May 21
(No 3)
the rich chestnut of their necks and the fine ashy of
the throat with perfect distinctiveness. When I was within
100 yards they took to diving keeping under water a
surprisingly long time but not progressing much further
than a Whistler or Scoter would have gone under similar
circumstances and not once doubling or trying to pass
me under water. After making three or four dives one
of them rose and flew past us alighting again about
200 yards off. Presently it began calling in an exceedingly
loud, harsh voice not unlike that of an angry Crow
but of much greater volume. The calls were also given
more slowly & [delete]deliberately[/delete] widened with singular deliberation.
Car; car; car; three or four times sometimes lengthened 
to [delete]caar[/delete] caar & again broken and quavering like ca-a-a-r
or ca-a-a-a-r. This call was promptly answered
by the other & nearer bird which all the while I 
had been pushing closely & had driven close in shore.
This bird nearly always gave the broken or quavering
form of the cry & also preceded it by
an explosion Kup very like that of a Florida Gallinule.
I could not make her fly & when I left her
she & the other bird (her mate no doubt) quickly
swam together. I could have easily shot them
both had I been so inclined.
[margin]A pair of
Holboell's
Greebes[/margin]
  There is evidently a Black Duck's nest on the small
island at the eastern end of the channel not 80 yds.
from our anchorage. We saw the Duck fly directly
out of the woods this afternoon. Presently her mate 
joined her and the two fed together almost within gunshot
of the boat. Half-an-hour later the Duck flew back to the 
island. We shall investigate further to-morrow.
[margin]Black Ducks
about their
nesting 
place[/margin]