T 889 
Maine. 
L. Umbagog. 
Much l-ess numerous than usual, owing probably to the 
high stage of water which interfered seriously with their 
feeding grounds. Still a few were seen almost every day up 
to my departure. On Oct. 23d I saw a beautiful adult male 
apparently in perfect plumage in Leonard's Pond. In the 
same place on the same morning I 
as I could see through my glass 
on a lump of mud near the middle 
though my guide used his paddle 
make the least sound, they awoke 
tried to approach two whih 
were sound asleep sitting 
of this pond, but al¬ 
so skillfully as not to 
and flew before we were 
within gun-shot. This Merganser is found on all the riv¬ 
ers and ponds about Umbagog, even on such, small, forest _ on- 
cricled pools as Bottle Brook pond where one was killed by 
Mi. Skillings, this autumn. Mr. Noyes tells me that a few 
years since he shot a Shelldrake flying which had evident¬ 
ly come up the Androscoggin river from below Erroll Dam. 
While dying after being taken into the boat it vomited up 
a small pickerel which was still ...line. He believes that 
it has been instrumental in introducing pickerel and oth¬ 
er fishes to ponds into which they could not have gained 
access by any other way. The Shelldrake about Umbagog are 
quite as shy as, if not shyer, than, the Black Ducks, af- 
ter they have once seen a man or a boat. But their sen¬ 
ses of both sight and hearing are dull .and it is an easy, 
matter to stalk them from the shore or to paddle wishm 
>r bushing a boat. They have one cur 
habit which leads to the destruction of a great many 
anmely, although they will invariably rise 
away and often half a mile ahead of an 
either boat or man when 
and it is a common occur- 
an uncon- 
gun- shot by grassing 05 
ious 
individuals, 
several gun-shots 
open boat, they do not seem to fear 
once they are fairly on wing, 
within short range of 
ronee for a flock to pass 
cealecl boat in open water. 
