Cambridge 
1897. 
Dec .11. 
Larue a,. smithsonianus . 
Mass. 
I went to Fresh Pond this morning at 8.30 and found an 
astonishing number and variety of water-fowl "bedded" off the 
point of the Grove about 300 yards from shore. Sitting as 
closely together as such birds often do under similar circum¬ 
stances they formed a continuous belt 50 or 60 yards wide by 
at least 400 yards in length. I counted them carefully and 
got 863 Gulls and 8 Ducks as the result. Taking a position 
at the extreme end of the point of the Grove, where I had the 
advantage of being 30 ft. or more above the pond, and resting 
my powerful double telescope against the trunk of a big hem¬ 
lock I spent nearly an hour in identifying and watching the 
members of this flock. The light was excellent and my glass 
brought the birds so near that I had little or no difficulty 
in distinguishing their colors and markings. Indeed I quickly 
determined almost to my entire satisfaction almost every bird 
which especially attracted my attention. 
The Gulls composing this great flock spent a large part 
of their time this morning either in floating idly on the sur¬ 
face or in washing and pluming themselves. At times fully 
half of the total number were simultaneously engaged in the 
latter occupation. They would first thrust their heads and 
necks beneath the surface and raising them suddenly send a 
quantity of water over their backs at the same time beating 
