Tlie Hi) (Is oil Haciut. \ i.sta Lalce. 5;^ 
The lirst birds to |)ay iiic a visit were a pair of Gref>es. 
Tlie (' l;ir(U are tlie u iloi tuiiate creatures that ])rovi(le the 
(irebe skin of eoiiuneree, auti when their skins are in fashion 
in Eui-o]>e, many tliousandy of them are shipped from iiere to 
tile 'Fri.ieo markets. Luckily for the birds, they have Loen 
out of faohion now for a good muuy years. They are very 
inquisitive, and the pair, of which I write, approached my 
decoys to see what they were made of. After some hesitation 
the male decided that he Avas equal to the occasion, and made 
a sudden dasli at one of tlie Ducks, delivering a lightning 
like tlirust Avitli its dagger-shaped l>ill. Had the Duck been 
of fle.>h and blood or even India rubber, as are some decoy.s, 
it would have been done for entirely, as it was the Grebe 
evidently received a horrid shock, for 1 next saw him and his 
mate some two hundred yards away, on the open water. Two 
other Grebes are found on the lake. The Eared Grebe {Podi- 
cepi [Cftlymhus] nigiicollis, californicus), a bird about the 
i-izB of a Widgeon, with a bright patch of orange on the side 
of its face and the Hell Diver {Podilymhus podiceps), a bird 
similai- in shape to our Dabchick, but almost twice the size. 
The head and upper parts of its body are j'uddy 
coloured, the breast dirty Avhite. I have only once seen the 
Eared Grebe, but the Hell Diver is one of the commonest 
birds on the lake. They are marvellous diver.s, . and can 
disappear tail first, ai easily as the other way, and without 
a splash, too. It is amusing to watch them inspecting a 
bunch of decoys, or any other object, about which they 
are not quite certain. Their heads will suddenly pop up close 
to it, then two or three inches of neck appears, making them 
look foi all the world like a briarwood pipe sticking out of 
the water. Perhap;: they will remain like this for several 
minutco, and then giadualiy sink out of sight, their bodies 
not having been on view at all. For a little time nothing 
happens, then a low " mami)li "-" mamph " calls my attention 
to a small flock of Canvas- Backs (Maiila caUi>ineria) Hying 
past the decoys. I nole the Duck-;, turning their heads as 
they go by, which looks as if they meant to come back. 
Sure enough, after Hying a mile or so down the lake back they 
come and alight witli a splash some forty yards from the 
decoys. ■ These handsome Ducks are more sought after than 
any other wild fowl. They are fairly plentiful in the winter, 
