82 
UPTON, MAINE 
1874 
August 28 
sailed down the lake to Black island cove, firing a long shot 
at a black duck as we passed out of the river. In the pond hole 
of the cove we found about a dozen merganers but they all got 
off without our getting a shot. As we approached it at least 
30 Ardea flerodias rose at once and after wheeling about in cir¬ 
cles lit on the tops of some dead pines which presented a cur¬ 
ious appearance covered with the great birds. Here I also saw 
two adult Larus agentatus light on an immense dead tree top and 
sit there sometime, their white plumage contrasting beautifully 
with a dark cloud which formed the back-ground. We found a 
flock of 4 Gambetta flavipes feeding in the mud and S. fired at 
one of them flying without success. Took the boat off B. cove 
and reached the house by sunset. All the swallows left here 
day before yesterday (25th) when we noticed them collecting in¬ 
to large flocks. 
August_28. Clear and a very warm day. In A.M. skinned a few 
birds. Late in P.M. took a tramp with S. over on the Tyler road 
but had miserable luck, bagging only 4 virds. Tetrao Can. $ 
y.y. and D.maculosa y.y. Just beyond the bog as we were walk¬ 
ing quietly along I chanced to look up and my attention was im¬ 
mediately attracted by a pair of young spruce grouse which were 
sitting on a small larch over the path, one with neck outstretch¬ 
ed, the other squatted close on the limb. There they sat per¬ 
fectly motionless and presenting a beautiful sight amid the del¬ 
icate green frondage of the tree. After looking at them for 
some moments I shot one sitting and missed a snap shot at the 
