Spy Pond, Arlington, Mass.
1909.
October
  According to Mr. Warren E. Freeman of Arlington (whom I
met in Boston on Nov. 20th) the flight of Ruddy Ducks at
Spy Pond during this month was heavier than for many years.
He has definite knowledge of seventy-five birds killed and thinks
there must have been others of which he has no record. He
himself killed a dozen or more although he visited the pond
only a few times. Before the season was over all shooting
on the pond before 7 A.M. was prohibited by the town
(Arlington) authorities because of the disturbance of the early
morning slumbers of people living near the pond, due to the
heavy firing about daybreak.
Abundance of Ruddy Ducks at Spy Pond
  The flight of Coots (Fulica) during this month was even
more remarkable. They came in in flocks, sometimes containing
ten or a dozen birds each, and very many were killed.
On several occasions Mr. Freeman saw them flying, as well
as swimming, in company with the "Dumb-birds".
Abundance of Coots
  One morning, at daybreak, four Mallards passed within shot
of Mr. Freeman's boat when he brought down two with his
first barrel and the other two with his second (a remarkable
feat), securing all four birds. These were drakes in fully
mature plumage, the fourth a female.
Mallards
  Ten or a dozen Ruddies were seen in Jamaica Pond in October
and 29 Coots observed there at one time late that month (see
Nuttall Club records). No reports relating to Fresh Pond
for this month of the autumn have reached me.
  Mr. Freeman also told me of three Scaup Ducks which
he saw in the boat of a gunman at Spy Pond in
October. He did not examine them closely and hence is
unable to say whether they were Greater or Lesser Scaups.
Scaup