400 Wright, Rare Wild Ducks Wintering at Boston, Mass. [oct. 



in this vicinity. This Ring-neck also dives with wings close to the 

 side. 



In 1907, a single duck was seen on the pond on October 21, was 

 joined by four others on the 2Gth, and by three more two days 

 later, all female or immature birds. These, after many very 

 satisfactory views of them, I regarded as Ring-necks. Dr. 

 C. W. Townsend judged them to be rather of the size of Redheads 

 and so regarded them. Some of these remained to November 12. 

 On the 13th none were present. I viewed them at times on the 

 shore at near range, and they seemed to be in body scarcely larger 

 than the Coot {Fulica americana), which were near them. It 

 was the same when the two species were swimming together. 

 These ducks also showed an obscure band across the bill above the 

 tip. The female Redhead present with us this winter shows no 

 band, even obscure, across the bill. It seems of interest to men- 

 tion the occurrence of these ducks here, whether they were Ring- 

 necks or Redheads. The occurrence of so many was rare in 

 either case. 



Mr. William Brewster records in his ' Birds of the Cambridge 

 Region' the presence of two female Ring-necked Ducks on Fresh 

 Pond in the afternoon of November 30, 1903. 



In connection with the account of the entire winter stay of 

 these representatives of five species of wild ducks, it may be of 

 interest to present the full record of the fall and early winter season 

 of 1909 at Jamaica Pond, as this will indicate how much the pond is 

 availed of for a time by wild waterfowl in their southward flight, 

 and will show what companions, transient or more permanent, 

 these wild ducks had while they remained upon Jamaica Pond. 

 Leverett Pond and the other waters in this section of parkway will 

 be incidentally referred to by name as receiving migrant water- 

 fowl, and mention will also be made of other recent records upon 

 these waters and the waters of Chestnut Hill Reservoir, likewise 

 in Boston, and of Fresh Pond in Cambridge. I am indebted to a 

 number of local observers for many of the records. 



Podihpnbus yodiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — One was recorded 

 from November 4 to December 18. This grebe was first seen on 

 October 31 by members of the Norfolk Bird Club. One or two 

 have also visited the pond in each of the three preceding years. 

 The visitant sometimes passes to the waters of Ward's Pond. 



