Todd : Birds of Erie and Presque Isle. 487 



no permanent outlet, although originally connected with the channel 

 at the pier. It would seem to be of comparatively recent formation. 

 Northwest of Horseshoe Pond, after an interval of sand-dunes bearing 

 poplar trees, and occupying the depression beyond the first wooded 

 ridge, is Niagara or Lake Pond (Plate XVII), the outlet of which is into 

 Misery Bay. It is divided into two main portions by a narrow tongue 

 of land extending from the north, and its shores are everywhere marshy 

 and fringed with a dense growth of aquatic plants. Yellow Bass Pond, 

 opening also into Misery Bay by a tortuous channel, lies just beyond 

 the intervening strip of woodland, and is very similar in character to 

 Niagara Pond. It is succeeded in its turn by a long, narrow, shallow 

 body of water known . as Ridge, or Dead Pond, so called, perhaps, 

 because during the summer months it largely dries up, as also do some 

 of the other smaller ponds having no visible connection with the bay, 

 which would indicate that they are mainly dependent on the rains for 

 their water-supply. Ridge Pond is entirely enclosed by a dense growth 

 of bushes, and along its southern margin there runs a board-walk con- 

 necting Presque Isle Light with the Government boat-house at the 

 head of Misery Bay. Just west of this bay is Graveyard Pond, and 

 beyond this again Big Pond (Plate XIX), which has, or had in rtjoo, 

 an artificial outlet to the south. Big Pond, with its intricate system 

 of arms and channels, is a veritable watery labyrinth. From it a nar- 

 row passage leads into Long Pond, the name of which suggests its 

 shape. Long Pond is deeper than any of the other ponds except 

 Horseshoe Pond, and its margins are not marshy to any extent, a 

 dense growth of low bushes extending to the edge of the water in 

 most places. West of Long Pond are two small ponds known as the 

 Lily Ponds, closed in by dense shrubbery. The only other pond of 

 importance in this connection . is Cranberry Pond, a long, narrow, 

 enclosed body of water lying between and parallel to Ridge and Long 

 Ponds, south of the board-walk. In addition to those above men- 

 tioned, there are a number of smaller ponds, particularly in the 

 western portion of the Peninsula, not dignified by special names, as 

 well as areas of marshy savanna which were doubtless once open ponds, 

 and have become filled up in the course of time. Nearly all the ponds 

 have a thick layer of mud covering the sandy bottom, so that it is 

 usually unsafe to attempt wading. At low water several of the ponds 

 present muddy margins, which are very attractive to some species of 

 shore-birds, but the "dead" ponds in the western part of the Penin- 



