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Lake Umbagog.
Androscoggin River.
1897.
Sept. 22
(No 2)
  We started homeward a little before sunset. As
we were rowing up the Androscoggin a Wood Duck
crossed this river coming from Sweat's Meadow. A
moment later I saw it coming back through the
stubs flying at great speed with a Hawk in hot
pursuit. About 30 ft. [feet] separated the two birds when they
first attracted my attention. The Hawk reduced this
distance about one half [delete]before the Duck[/delete] in the next
100 yards but the Duck on reaching the middle of
the river inclined sharply downward and striking
the water with great force at once disappeared beneath
the surface diving directly from on wing. The Hawk
turning back alighted on a stub on the left bank. I
had a good view of him as he sat with his breast
turned towards me & decided him to be an adult
Cooper's my only doubt for the moment being as to
whether he was a male or not. The Duck by this 
time had come to the surface and the Hawk
again stooped at her when she again dove. This
was repeated at least seven or eight times. Either
the Duck grew tired or, as I thought at the time,
more confident, for after the first two or three dives
she would wait until the very last instant before
going under. Indeed the Hawk more than once extended
his legs & feet (both of them thrust forward nearly to
his head) with the talons wide spread indirectly fully
expecting this time to grasp his prey and more than once
his talons seemed to be within less than a foot of 
the Duck when she disappeared. Had he poised over
the spot he would certainly have caught her for
she invariably came up within a yard or two of
[margin]Gos-hawk
&
Wood Duck [/margin]