DECEMBER OUT-OF-DOORS. 39 
made a profound impression upon me; no 
doubt I promised never to forget it; yet 
twelve months later traditionary notions had 
resumed their customary sway, and every 
pleasant morning took me by surprise. 
The winter of 1888-89 will long be fa- 
mous in the ornithological annals of New 
England as the winter of killdeer plovers. 
I have mentioned the great storm of Novem- 
ber 25th-27th. On the first pleasant morn- 
ing afterwards — on the 28th, that is — my 
out-of-door comrade and I made an excur- 
sion to Nahant. The land-breeze had al- 
ready beaten down the surf, and the turmoil 
of the waters was in great part stilled; but 
the beach was strewn with sea-weeds and 
eel-grass, and withal presented quite a holi- 
day appearance. From one motive and an- 
other, a considerable proportion of the in- 
habitants of the city had turned out. The 
principal attraction, as far as we could per- 
ceive, was a certain big clam, of which great 
numbers had been cast up by the tide. Bas- 
kets and wagons were being filled; some of 
the men carried off shells and all, while oth- 
ers, with a celerity which must have been 
the result of much practice, were cutting out 
