OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 5 



smaller and more hidden away in the forest lies Muddy Pond, 

 in close proximity to the other two. Three or four miles distant 

 westward are two other ponds in East Whitefield, known as 

 Weed's and Weeks's ponds, also of a swampy nature and for- 

 merly in the forest, but now in thinned woodland and not far 

 from farms. Still farther westward is Martin Meadow Pond in 

 Ivancaster, second in size to Cherry Pond, a body of clear water. 

 In the opposite direction, eastward, and situated five miles away 

 from highways and within a devastated forest, is the Pond of 

 Safety, also a body of clear water, fed by springs, a veritable 

 little mountain lake. The pathway to the pond follows up the 

 valley of the Great Brook, so called, which lies between the 

 Randolph and the PlinyRanges, these constituting with Mt. Starr 

 King, the mountain background to Jefferson on the northeast. 

 This brook in its outward course, and within a mile or so of its 

 emptying into Israel's River, runs through a hollow dividing 

 Jefferson Hill from Jefferson Highland, known as Stag Hollow, 

 where it broadens out into a small disused mill-pond, called 

 Brooks's Pond. All these ponds are within easy reach of a bird 

 observer and have been visited from time to time. But Cherry 

 and I^ittle Cherry Ponds have been visited much more frequently 

 than the others, because of their natural attractions for birds 

 and their easy accessibility by rail, and also for the reason that 

 they possess boating facilities which afford opportunity for a 

 thorough search of the waters and the surrounding shores. 



By paths and trails the neighboring mountains are acces- 

 sible, including all the members of the Presidential Range, on 

 whose sides on the north are countless pathways opening up 

 the forest to an observer. This forest has been severely cut into 

 by the lumber companies during the last ten years and some 

 sections of the mountain sides almost denuded of heavy timber, 

 thus producing some changes in the distribution of the birds, 

 but as yet probably eliminating no species having its habitat 

 thereon. By mountain roads we have frequently made full 

 days' observations by carriage, moving slowly and recording 

 every bird-voice as well as bird-form which came within our 



