Anas obscura. Lake Umbagog, Maine. 1889 Maine Sept 6th. L. Umbagog (Continued) as possible. If the pond is small he usually crosses it first if large he skirts the edge for a hundred yards or more before landing. If shot at or followed by a dog he dives repeatedly proceeding most of the way under water. If undisturbed he swims very swiftly and steadily, his body sunk so that only the lower portion of the back is visible, his neck flattened close to the surface. On reaching the shore he chooses a belt of long grass if this can be found and scuttles into it very quickly going back a few yards from the water and finally crawling under a tussock. If the shore is bold and devoid of grass he will go back often a hundred yards or more until he finds a fallen log or shelving rock under which to hide. Once settled in his hiding place he remains motionless and thus concealed for hours, & this will allow a man to step over him without moving, or a dog to point him. When a dog springs to catch him he starts at once for the water running very swiftly. I do not think that wounded black ducks ever return to the water until able to fly again. My dog has often found them in the woods days after they were shot but I have never seen one swimming in a pond. The Black Duck is a strong swift flier but less swift than many of the smaller species. Its wings move in long powerful sweeps each of which can be easily followed by the eye. It is not afraid of trees rising easily in dense cover and making its way through belts of woods without apparent difficulty. It always mounts rises above the woods, however, if it has time to do so. It sometimes fails on set wings in a broad circle when alighting a place from or high Behavior of wounded birds. Flight.