Anas obsoura . 
Lake Umbagog, Maine. 
1894 . I did not fire a shot before reaching Bottle Brook Pond 
Sept.13. where we found fully 75 Black Ducks. I stalked a portion,of 
the flock successfully but with some difficulty. They were 
off the point between the middle and right-hand coves. As I 
got to the black alder thicket on the end of the point a doz¬ 
en or more Ducks were standing or lying on a grassy island 
just out of range preening their feathers or sleeping. Every 
now and then two or three would chase one another about, 
splashing the water noisily with their wings and making the 
place ring and echo with their loud quacking. It was nearly 
half an hour before I got a shot but at length three oirds 
came humming along close under the bushes and I killed three, 
all with a single charge. The foliage prevented ray getting 
in the other barrel. 
