LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE DISTRICT. 15 



terest from an ornithological point of view, for in a few years, perhaps 

 at the time this sketch is being read, these marshes will all be reclaimed 

 and their present locus occupied by a beautiful park diversified by pict- 

 uresque lakelets, bridges, and groves of ornamental trees; and the 

 places which now afford feeding grounds to myriads of marsh birds, 

 already mentioned, will know them no more forever. 



The first steps towards reclaiming the "Potomac Flats" have already 

 been taken in Congress (1882), and before ma.ny years the whole area 

 between Easby's wharf and Greenleafs Point and the present north 

 river shore, embracing an area of about 1,000 acres, will have been added 

 to the city limits of Washington. This is a consummation the more 

 devoutly to be wished for, for another reason than danger from " ma- 

 laria," one which we have not heretofore seen urged, namely, the danger 

 from "yellow fever." The yellow-fever germ is not indigenous to this 

 locality, but that we are not exempt from the liability to the disease in 

 the summer season is evidenced by the ravages which it has occasioned 

 in past years in the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Philadelphia, and New 

 York. There is reason to believe that the germ of contagion of this dis- 

 ease is not perfected in the human body, but requires certain conditions 

 outside the body for its development into the virulent form which works 

 such deadly consequences to the human race. These conditions are 

 found best fulfilled in maritime ports during the hot season, where the 

 tide ebbs and flows, alternately exposing accumulated sewer-filth to the 

 rays of a summer sun, and again flooding it, twice each twenty-four 

 hours. This is exactly the state of things with the "Potomac Flats." 

 Sewer deposits are caught by the vegetation of the marshes, stirred up 

 constantly by the tides, and for a portion of each day exposed to the 

 sun and air. What the result might be were the yellow-fever germs 

 once to get a fair start in so favorite a soil is terrible to contemplate. 



Coming back to our birds from this digression, we observe that this 

 portion of the river, lying between Analostan Island and Greenleafs 

 Point and extending southward from Greenleafs Point towards Alex- 

 andria, furnishes feeding- waters to large numbers of Ducks, which may 

 be found especially abundant in the months of February and March, 

 just previous to their spring migration. At this period many are shot 

 for the market by gunners, and sportsmen can have fair sport on occa- 

 sions in shooting from floats located above or below Long Bridge. 



Eoche's Inlet and the "Four-Mile Eun" are favorite feeding-places, 

 where a judiciously placed "blind "and decoys will afford at times good 

 shooting. Four-Mile Eun is situated on the Virginia side of the river, 

 about half way between Long Bridge and Alexandria. The Alexandria 

 Canal crosses it at the point where it empties into the river, which it 

 does through two culverts under the canal, through which the tide pours 

 in a strong current during its ebb and flow. Behind the canal embank- 

 ment, the run expands into quite a large marsh of reeds, wild rice, and 

 marsh grass, which gives refuge to Summer Duck, Teal, Eail, etc., while 



