Nov., 1919 A RETURN TO THE DAKOTA LAKE REGION 229 only a few yards from me, all unaware of my presence. A young Catbird flew into the bushes at the lake end of my path, while a Flicker and a Goldfinch came in almost over my head, as undisturbed as the Meadowlark singing out- side. A flock of about forty l?uddies had gathered in the quiet corner out of the wind. In the strong western light that slanted full across the safe harbor, their white cheek patches were dazzlingly snow white, their bodies a'warm rufous. A pretty sight they made, riding mirrored on the smooth water, a blue bill and white cheek patch in duplicate making indeed a striking picture. A big mother Canvasback swam in through an open space between the. l?uddies--a steamship plowing its way among motor boats--leaving a long, strongly marked wake behind her and diving at its point. In feeding, one of her family stood on his head, tail in air; another, after bathing, rose so straight he almost tipped over backwards. Three young Coots climbed up eagerly into a yard of rule that rose out of the water in the center of the protected harbor, its slender stems charmingly reflected below. Coots' Rest I had come to call it, from seeing ?i matronly old Coot standing there preening herself, looking round and comfortable as if she were on her own home island. Now, however, two of the young ones got to scrapping and rose bill to bill, one finally driving the other into the water. His undisputed possession of the little island did not last long, however, for the queenly old Canvasback who had come in among the Ruddies swam up to the pleasant' resting place quite as if all the lake were hers by right, and the ag- gressive young Coot hurriedly slipped off into the water. At one time the yard of rules constituting Coot's l?cst was taken possession of by a mother Shoveller who in moving around showed her orange under man- dible and feet, and was apparently taking solid comfort orthe little island-- for even Ducks seem to like to tread on terra firma occasionally, perhaps to get their sea legs off! When she went out to feed, she let the mud strain out of her bill in good spoonbill fashion. Another time four Ducks were enjoying the wisp of rule, one barely visible inside the thickest part of the screen, while swi.'mming around close by, Blue-winged Teal tipped up their wings so the wide blue patch and its bordering white and .green showed, and others of their con- freres flew in calling softly. When a Ruddy autocratically rushed along by Coots' Rest, routing out one of the Ducks which was taking its ease, a bi'g flock of Ducks passed close over the water, and R.uddy, canting his head over to 'look up, apparently forgot the small tule island and swam on. The evening that the waterfowl gathered in the protected harbor to get out of the wind, across the lake, above the harvest fields dotted with sheaves of wheat, a creamy cumulus cloud arose, to be reflected in the lake. Scat- tered over the harbor, Coots were getting their evening meal in various ways-- picking lightly from the surface, plunging their heads under water, or diving with a splash that sent the water sparkling into the air. On the outer edge of the circle of Ruddies, Coots, and Canvasbacks, I was glad to discover my family of Itolbcell Grebes, characteristically keeping a little apart. The sun touched up the red throat and white face patch of the old mother who was followed close by her little one swimming with bill open, talk- ing as usual in a soft young voice close by her ear. Whet ?he dived and came up with food, two of the young swam toward her for their share, but she had taught them to fend for themselves, and even the little Talker was now diving
