396 Wright, Rare Wild Ducks Wintermg at Boston, Mass. LOct. 



for a day or two days she has been absent somewhere with her 

 companions. This Redhead duck is intermediate in size between 

 the Ring-necked drake and the Canvas-back drake being per- 

 ceptibly larger than the former and somewhat smaller than the 

 latter. The bill is dark slate with a black tip, and no obscure 

 band is apparent. Dr. Charles W. Townsend has called our 

 attention to the fact that this Redhead as well as the Canvas- 

 back dive with wings close to the side, as do the Scaups. 



Mrs. Edmund Bridge informs me that she saw a female Red- 

 head on the pond on November 30. This bird did not remain. 

 Two other records on Jamaica Pond will be of interest in this 

 connection. On December 23, 1905, in company with Mr. 

 Gordon B. Wellman, a Redhead drake was seen. He was with 

 Black Ducks and Mallards and came in close to the shore with 

 them, while we were at some distance. By careful approach 

 we had a very near view of this handsome drake before he swam 

 farther out. It was a day when a light rain Avas falling and the 

 same day on which a Canvas-back drake was found on Fresh 

 Pond in Cambridge. Another earlier record is that of a Redhead 

 duck seen on November 17, 1906. 



There are two Fresh Pond records in recent years, given in Mr. 

 William Brewster's 'Birds of the Cambridge Region,' namely: 

 On October 21, 1902, Mr. Richard S. Eustis observed a flock of 

 five Redheads, two males and three in the plumage of the female. 

 Mr. Brewster saw two males, presumably the same birds, he 

 thought, on November 14 and 30 and December 1. In 1903 a 

 Redhead drake was seen by Mr. Walter Deane on December 6, 

 and on the 11th, 17th, and 21st of the month either the same or a 

 similar bird was observed by Mr. Harold Bowditch. On the 

 waters of Chestnut Hill Reservoir Mr. Richard M. Marble and 

 Mr. Barron Brainerd saw a flock of six Redheads, four drakes 

 and two ducks, on March 21, 1909. 



Canvas-back. — I first saw the Canvas-back drake on Jamaica 

 Pond on December 14. Mr. J. L. Peters had seen the bird on the 

 12th. It was constantly seen by me and many interested observers 

 on this pond up to the closing day, December 30. Four days 

 later Miss Bertha Langmaid saw it on Leverett Pond, and there 

 it has remained, constantly visited and admired, with the exception 



