12 THE WREN. 
swimming long distances under water the grebe managed to keep 
away from them and ate in peace. 
Herring Gull; common transient visitor from October to April 
if the pond be open. During cloudy, foggy, and threatening days: 
and especially after storms this gull may be found in numbers from 
one to twenty. 
American Merganser; rare winter visitor. Only one record 
lately —a male which flew around the pond on December 14. 
The bird just mentioned probably came from the Chestnut Hill 
Reservoir, about two miles away where this merganser is a common 
visitor from December to April. 
Mallard; although there are plenty of tame ducks of this 
species on the pond there was one, a drake, that did not mix with 
the domesticated birds. The duck in question always was with 
the Black Ducks either squatting on the ice or on the reef. This 
bird flew easily and not like the tame ducks that had partially 
grown their clipped wings. ‘The dates for this Mallard begin in 
November. He was seen the greatest number of times in Decem- 
ber, on the 9th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 20th, 26th, and the January dates 
end only when the pond entirely froze over. ; 
Black Duck; very common winter resident. The first birds 
arrived the first week in October and before the pond was frozen - 
the numbers had been above the hundred mark. The average 
during December was about eighty-five. In the spring these ducks 
stay until the first week of May. During the day the Black Ducks 
are usually to be seen with their heads under their wings, floating 
lazily on the water or squatting on the edge of the ice. 
Green-winged Teal; during January, 1908, a beautiful male 
was at the pond. In February he was at Leverett’s Pond and on 
March 14 he was seen in the Back Bay Fens. A small duck was 
seen on the ice with the Black Ducks, December 13, 1908, and may 
have been a teal. 
Baldpate; a male in full plumage of this very rare visitor to 
this part of Massachusetts arrived at Jamaica Pond on December 
14, staying till January 18. Then it was seen during the next week 
at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and from January 28 to the pres- 
ent time is at Leverett’s Pond. The food of this bird consists 
chiefly of the aquatic plants which it obtains by robbing the Coots 
