v/^fy 
immersed to the eyes, apparently scanning the water beneath 
in search of fish. The females paddled slowly about, appar¬ 
ently doing nothing in particular. There was no driving 
on the part of any of them. At length we showed ourselves 
and the Sheldrake at once flew but the Black Duck who had 
gone fast asleep with head buried in dorsal feathers re¬ 
mained behind. His bewilderment and consternation when he 
at length awoke and discovered our boat approaching rapidly 
was very amusing. 
We next recrossed the river, landed, and skirting 
the hill, walked through the pines and down into the valley 
behind.The surface of a broad expanse of snow which lay on 
the north side of some young pines was marked with the 
tracks of a small Raccoon. In the old apple orchard we 
found numerous pellets and other recent marks of Screech 
Owls but we searched all the holes in vain. It is strange 
that I have never found an Owl in any of these holes al¬ 
though their fresh signs are present under the trees, 
season after season. 
We lunched near the big oak by the brook in a 
sunny hollow sheltered from the searching north wind. Two 
Bluebirds, a pair of Chickadees, and a flock of about 25 
most deliciously 
Goldfinches all in the oak at once, the Goldfinches singing/ 
most of the time but once or twice the real summer 
song from an old male 
