( 2 ) 
0idenia auerioana . 
1889. ! 'aine. 
t . Umbagog. 
up and down the Lake several times as if to inspect it thoroughly 
before making up their mines to alight. As on former years, the., 
invariably settled first on one of four places, although there 
seemed to be no reason why they should prefer these to the hun¬ 
dreds of other spots which the broad sheet of water offered. The 
fact that the single birds anci little parties of three or four 
which occasionally came -into the Lake were quite as apt to alight 
in one place as another leads me to conclude that the larger flocks 
are led by old birds which have visiteo the Lake before curing 
their migrations and which have regular places for alighting, ful¬ 
ly two thirds, of these large flocks either at the lower 
end of the Lake between (treat Island and Lakeside or on the upper 
stretch near the mouth of B Cove, the third choice being the 
stretch just .above the narrows and the fourth choice the region 
about the outlet. After alighting the flocks usually remained on 
the water for.half an hour or more, then taking wing they would 
fly up and down the Lake a number of times, sometimes rising high 
in the air, but always, unless shot at, returning and alighting 
again near the place whence they started. If not disturbed they- 
would take these flights at regular intervals during the entire 
day. If shot at a flock would usually alight at a distance of a 
mile or more after flying about for sometime, frequently rising 
to the height of one thousand feet or more anct sometimes going 
off to the southward nearly or quite out of sight. In no instance 
either this year or m former years have I known a flock to be 
oriven out of the Lake however much it was persecuted, but a large 
flock often breaks up into several small flocks after having 
been repeatedly shot into. The large flocks always alight in deep 
water out of gun-shot of the shore. Single birds, pairs and lit¬ 
tle parties of three or four are, however, frequently found close 
in shore in the coves as well as sometimes m the Cambridge and 
Androscoggin rivers. After alighting, large flocks usually move 
steadily, but very slowly in one direction for half a mile or more 
before taking wing. They swim in a long line or in a short straight 
bar composed of four or five ranks. At a distance a flock in the 
latter order closely resembles a float.ing log. In the good, old 
times when Black Ducks, " : ooc Ducks, Teal, etc. , were a hundred 
fold more numerous at Umbagog then they are now no one thought of 
shooting Coots except perhaps occasionally for their feathers or 
in mere wanton curiosity to see how many could be killed at one 
discharge into i crowded flock. But now they are hunted easily 
by every one and they are getting shyer every year. A large flock 
will seldom allow an open boat to come nearer than sixty or sev¬ 
enty yards, but a boat covered with grass or bushes and skillfully 
Bandied can often be paddled within close gun-shot. Curiously 
i£>? 
