3 
Clangula olan^ula saner io an a . 
Lake Umbagog, Maine. 
1897. 
June 8. 
I 
I 
mine. It was arranged between us that if the YThistler began 
taking out her young while I was absent he would shout a few 
times to let me know of the fact. 
I had just finished breakfast when I heard this signal 
and jumping into the St.Lawrence skiff rowe d rowed as hard as 
I could pull for the nest but as soon as I came in sight of it 
I knew I was too late_, for Gilbert was standing up in his boat 
and paddling slowly towards the tree. Here is his account of 
what happened during my absence 
At 3.45 the old Duck appeared at the entrance (the lower 
hole ) to the nest where she sat for five minutes moving her 
head continually and looking about in every direction included 
within her field of vision; then she sank back out of sight 
reappearing at the end of a minute and looking about as before 
for another five minutes. At the end of this second period 
of observation she flew down to the water and swam around the 
stub three times clucking and calling. On completing the 
third round she stopped directly under the hole and gave a 
single loud call or cluck when the ducklings at once began 
scrambling up to the entrance from the nest and dropping down 
to the water falling on top of one another. In other words 
the brood literally uoured out of the nest much as shot would 
fall from one's hand. One or two hesitated or paused for an 
