30 



MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



replaced by straight and unsightly sea walls. Nevertheless, it still forms a not 

 unattractive body of water, upwards of two miles in length and a quarter of 

 a mile or more in breadth. This has come to be called the Back Bay Basin, 

 a name which appears rather frequently in the present paper, especially in the 

 text relating to water-fowl. Certain of these birds continue to resort to the 

 Basin in by no means inconsiderable numbers. Indeed the Herring Gulls and 

 Whistlers are more abundant and very much more familiar there now than they 

 were thirty or forty years ago. At that time they were constantly disturbed 

 by gunners, who not only pursued them in boats but were permitted to shoot 

 at them from the bridges used for public traffic. I have repeatedly seen an 

 unsuspecting Gull, flying low over West Boston Bridge,^ brought dead or 

 wounded to the pavement by a well-directed shot fired from the very midst of 

 crowded teams and street cars. Horses were often frightened, and occasionally 

 even injured, by this reckless practice. It was rather out of consideration for 

 them than for the birds, if I remember rightly, that all shooting on the Basin, 

 as well as on the bridges that crossed it, was finally stopped ; but the birds, of 

 course, were especially benefitted by the change. Without doubt their present 

 abundance is due chiefly, if not wholly, to the complete immunity from moles- 

 tation which they continue to enjoy. The Whistlers are somewhat less numer- 

 ous now than they were eight or ten years ago, probably because of the fact 

 that many of the flats where they were accustomed to dive for food at high 

 water, have been recently removed by dredging. 



Charles River Marshes. 



Dear marshes ! vain to him the gift of sight 

 Who cannot in their various incomes share, 



From every season drawn, of shade and light, 

 Who sees in them but levels brown and bare ; 



Each change of storm or sunshine scatters free 



On them its largess of variety. 

 For Nature with cheap means still works her wonders rare. 



I The old wooden bridge was begun on April 8, 1793, and finished on November 23 of the same 

 year. It has been replaced by a steel structure, resting on granite piers, which is now almost com- 

 pleted. 



