260 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



seen almost daily that we have described. The 

 forms that frequent fresh waters we shall mention 

 presently. It is simply under stress of weather that 

 some families visit the tide. A large cloud of dun- 

 lins is one of the most interesting sights that a 

 naturalist can look on. They are such pretty, 

 innocent-looking birds, no matter where you see 

 them, on the wing or tripping along over the 

 slub. 



One little memory of them comes up before me. 

 We are looking down a reach of the creek, a mile 

 or more in length. The tide is out. There are 

 the mud-banks on either side, the channel in the 

 middle ; and above and around, as far as the eye 

 can reach, snow, nothing but deep, frozen snow. 

 A dreary look-out it is, and it makes one feel melan- 

 choly ; for the wind rushes up the creek and cuts 

 like a knife. In the distance something is coming 

 up with it that looks like the smoke from the 

 funnel of a steamer ; it waves and streams as smoke 

 will do in a rush of wind. Now the smoke has 

 vanished. Again it shows thick as at first, and 

 then it breaks up in patches. Presently the dark 

 cloud becomes a light one, a great flash of silver. 



