DECEMBER OUT-OF-DOORS. 39 



made a profound impression upon me; no 

 doubt I promised never to forget it; yet 

 twelve months later traditionary notions had 

 resumed their customary sway, and every 

 pleasant morning took me by surprise. 



The winter of 1888-89 will long be fa- 

 mous in the ornithological annals of New 

 England as the winter of killdeer plovers. 

 1 have mentioned the great storm of Novem- 

 ber 25th-27th. On the first pleasant morn- 

 ing afterwards on the 28th, that is my 

 out-of-door comrade and I made an excur- 

 sion to Nahant. The land-breeze had al- 

 ready beaten down the surf, and the turmoil 

 of the waters was in great part stilled ; but 

 the beach was strewn with sea-weeds and 

 eel-grass, and withal presented quite a holi- 

 day appearance. From one motive and an- 

 other, a considerable proportion of the in- 

 habitants of the city had turned out. The 

 principal attraction, as far as we could per- 

 ceive, was a certain big clam, of which great 

 numbers had been cast tip by the tide. Bas- 

 kets and wagons were being filled ; some of 

 the men carried off shells and all, while oth- 

 ers, with a celerity which must have been 

 the result of much practice, were cutting out 



