74 UPTON, MAINE 1874 August 16 - August 16. (Sunday) Clear and cool. Spent the day about the house writing letters, etc. August 17. Clear and warm. In the morning took the steamboat with S. and disembarked in my boat at Leonards pond where we found about 20 hooded merganser. Paddled S. up to a flock of 4 of which he killed three on the water: at the report a larger flock rose from the grass and passed the boat when I fired both barrels, killing my first bird. The steamer returning from Errol in about an hour took us on board and we reached the Lake house by 12 A.M. On the broad of the lake I saw a flock of about a dozen Chroi.bonapartii as well as a number of Larus agentatus. Spent all the afternoon in making a new sail for my boat. Bates went into the sluice this morning and returned with a large basket of trout as well as a black duck and several partridges. August 18. Cloudy and threatening through the forenoon, clearing off in P.M. Started up the lake in the steamboat this morning for a days shoot on the lake and L's pond. Took to my boat at the outlet and after firing about 25 rifle shots at a loon, (who by the way seemed rather to like the fun paying no more attention to my shots than to occasionally rise and flap his wings when I came very near him) I paddled across the flooded meadow into the pond. In one of its most secluded nooks I was much surprised at coming suddenly upon a very large loon; he dived instantly and marking his course by a line of bubbles on the water passed nearly under my boat and escaped into the river.