222
Lake Umbagog.
1897
Sept. 5
(No 2)
  As we were nearing the mouth of Sturtevant Cove
we saw an adult Loon of exceptionally large size
floating about 100 yds. [yards] off on the glassy surface.
Ordinarily I do not molest these noble birds but
I coveted the skin of this gigantic fellow & at
once gave him a charge of buckshot. Either one
of the pellets hit him or he was a Loon of peculiar
habits for he began making a series of short dives
after coming up within less than 40 yards from the
spot where he had previously disappeared. He moved
for the most part in a circle of about 200 yds. in
diameter but often doubled back. He came up
repeatedly within half gunshot but on every fresh
occasion merely broke water and immediately disappeared
again like a big fish. Had I enough shells
to risk snap shots freely I would certainly have
killed him but as it was I kept my two charges
of heavy shot for fair chances at his head and neck
& missed with both at rather long range. When 
we left the bird he stood erect & flapped his wings
heading his long quavering cry back at us as if
in derision. By the bubbles which rose to the calm
surface just after he had dived very near us I
learned that he ordinarily or, at least, frequently, 
went straight down to a great depth (I think
20 feet or more) and then frequently turned back
or described a half circle before settling on his
final course. Indeed we could get but little
close to the place where he was likely to come up
by following the line of bubbles. He occasionally
went several hundred yards at one dive but obviously
not more than 40 to 70 yards.
[margin]Odd behaviour
of a Loon.[/margin]