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 A North Dakota Slough 149

three inches above the water, laying from eight to ﬁfteen eggs. Sometimes the nests were well concealed in thick patches of reeds, but more often they were easily found.

At the time of our visit, June to, many of the eggs were hatching, and the feeble little chicks were scrambling out into the water. They were scantily covered with reddish yellow down, more reddish anteriorly and more blackish posteriorly, with bright red bills.

In this same section of the slough were numerous nests of the Pied- hilled Grebe. wet, soggy masses of rotten reeds and rubbish, plastered together with a dark green vegetable scum, containing from ﬁve to nine dull, nest-stained eggs. Sometimes the eggs were completely covered with rubbish. but more often not In one nest the young were hatched, and scrambled oﬁ into the shallow water, diving like experts, but they could not swim far under water and soon came to the surface again. They were very prettin marked with soft black and white down. tinged with rufous on the back of the head. The old birds were very shy, always disappearing

BLACK TEM‘S hEST

before we came up, but, if we waited long enough and kept out of sight, their curiosity would prompt them to come to the surface near the nest

In an open, shallow portion of the slough a small colony of Black Terns were hovering about, protesting vigorously at our intrusionr They were exceedingly bold and courageous, darting down at us, and some- times even striking us. Their note is a short, sharp "Kek." uttered with great vehemence, and somewhat prolonged into a shrill scream when