Lake Umbagog. 
1337, 
September 12. 
Noticing many signs of Ducks about this pond (left by 
the floating island) I hid in the grass and waited for the twi¬ 
light flight. It -was getting dark when with a grand rush of wings 
five Wood Ducks came hurtling down and striking the water with a 
long swash sat for a moment with necks stretched up looking and 
listening intently for danger. Timid, beautiful creatui’es they 
little suspected the peril they were in. However, they escaped it 
for they were so scattered that I could not get two together and 
waited for them to "bunch". Instead of doing this, they first 
swam across the pond and then closing in together entered a long 
winding creek where they were lost to me. 
• •••*••♦ 
September 22. 
On reaching the bend (Cambridge River) where I shot my ^ 
2d Black Duck on the 20th we came suddenly on a superb male Wood 
Duck. He was sitting on the water near the middle of the stream, 
side towards me, neck stretched up, crest raised and all his bril¬ 
liant coloring, especially the painted bill, showing plainly against 
the dark background. He rose almost as soon as I discovered him, 
springing at least four feet into the air before using his wings. 
September 25. 
There was a single Wood Duck, a female, among them (a 
flock of five Black Ducks in Cambridge River above the Sluice). 
