° 1910 J Wright, Rare Wild Ducks Wintering at Boston, Mass. 401 



Larus argcntatus. Herring Gull. — Occasionally one or two 

 or a small flock appeared at the pond in November and December. 

 They are infrequent visitors. But on January 5, 1909, a showery 

 day, a flock numbering a hundred was seen. They also appear 

 on occasion at Leverett Pond and in the Fens. 



Mergus americanus. Merganser. — Two drakes in full adult 

 plumage were seen on Leverett Pond on February 9 by Mr. E. E. 

 Caduc, when in company with Mr. F. W. Jones some photographs 

 of the wild ducks were taken. Mr. Caduc states that they were 

 fully in view upon their arrival and remained for several minutes, 

 when they took wing away. They have been regular winter 

 visitors to Chestnut Hill Reservoir, two miles distant, when 

 undisturbed, where on one day of the present winter sixty -sLx 

 were counted by Mr. W. C. Levey. On March 20 Mr. Barron 

 Brainerd states he saw two males circling about Jamaica Pond. 

 This was at the time the ice had just disappeared. The Norfolk 

 Bird Club reports that a drake was seen flying around the pond 

 on December 14, 190S. The species is a very infrequent visitor 

 to either of these ponds. 



Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard. — Several individuals, notably 

 two drakes, either arrived with or associated themselves upon 

 their arrival with the Black Ducks in November and December 

 and remained with them apart from the park . Mallards. Later 

 they went with the Black Ducks, upon the closing up of the pond, 

 to Chestnut Hill Reservoir and still later were seen with them on 

 Fi-esh Pond. When the latter re-appeared upon the ice of Jamaica 

 Pond several days successively in January, these two Mallard 

 drakes were still with them. On several occasions one or two 

 female MaUards also were identified among this flock of Black 

 Ducks. It is quite probable that other wild Mallards arrived in 

 the fall and either joined the park flock or departed. Several 

 individuals were noted in the autumn that appeared shy for a 

 time and kept well oflF on the pond, and later at Leverett Pond 

 there continued to be shy individuals in the park flock. 



Ajias ruhripes and Atias rubripes triMis. Blu\ck Duck. — A 

 small number arrived in early October, and this number was in- 

 creased quite steadily up to December 11, on which day I counted 

 one hundred and seventy. The numbers then diminished gradually 



