24 NATURAL HISTORY 



" 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 

 u The circling surface." 



Wolmer-pond, so called, I suppose, for eminence sake, is a 

 vast lake for this part of the world, containing, in it's whole 

 circumference, 2646 yards, or very near a mile and an 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 perfectly secure 

 from fowlers, lie all day long, in the winter season, vast flocks 

 of ducks, teals, and wigeons, of various denominations ; where 

 they preen and solace, and rest themselves, till towards sun-set, 

 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 with the dawn of the morning. 

 Had this lake an arm or two more, and were it planted round 

 with thick covert (for now it is perfectly naked), it might 

 make a valuable decoy. 



Yet neither its extent, nor the clearness of it's water, nor 

 the resort of various and curious fowls, nor it's picturesque 

 groups of cattle, can render this meer so remarkable as the 

 great quantity of coins that were found in its bed about forty 

 years ago. But, as such discoveries more properly belong to 

 the antiquities of this place, I shall suppress all particulars for 

 the present, till I enter professedly on my series of letters 

 respecting the more remote history of this village and dis- 

 trict. 



