WOLMER POND. 35 



solace themselves from about ten in the morning till 

 four in the afternoon, and then return to their feed- 

 ing. During this great proportion of the day, they 

 drop much dung, in which insects nestle, and so 

 supply food for the fish, which would be poorly sub- 

 sisted, but for this contingency. Thus Nature, who 

 is a great economist, converts the recreation of one 

 animal to the support of another ! Thomson, who 

 was a nice observer of natural occurrences, did not 

 let this pleasing circumstance escape him. He says, 

 in his Summer, 



" A various group the herds and flocks compose : 



on the grassy bank 



Some ruminating lie ; while others stand, 

 Half in the flood, and, often bending, sip 

 The circling surface." 



Wolmer Pond, so called, I suppose, for eminence 

 sake, is a vast lake for this part of the world, con- 

 taining in its whole circumference, 2649 yards, or 

 very near a mile and a half. The length of the 

 north-west and opposite side is about 704 yards, 

 and the breadth of the south-west end about 456 

 yards. This measurement, which I caused to be 

 made with good exactness, gives an area of about 

 sixty-six acres, exclusive of a large irregular arm at 

 the north-east corner, which we did not take into 

 the reckoning. 



On the face of this expanse of waters, and per- 

 fectly secure from fowlers, lie all day long, in the 

 winter season, vast flocks of ducks, teals, and wid- 

 geons, of various denominations ; where they preen, 

 and solace, and rest themselves, till towards sunset, 

 when they issue forth in little parties for in their 

 natural state they are all birds of the night to 

 feed in the brooks and meadows : returning again 

 D 2 



