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 lay ; 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, 2,646 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 reck- 

 oning. 



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 with the 



dawn of the morning. Had this lake an arm or two 



28 



