Cambridge 
1897. 
Dec .11. 
(No.2). 
Larus a,, smithsonianus . 
Mass. 
the surface with their wings. After repeating this twice or 
thrice they 'would shake themselves to throw off the water and 
then begin passing their feathers through their bills. It was 
a pretty sight to see so many of the great, white birds thus 
occupied, with the spray thrown up by their powerful wings 
flashing in the sunshine. 
The only difficulty that I had in counting them was due 
to the fact that so many were constantly joining and leaving 
the flock. Dozens would arrive together coming from both the 
south and east, flying at a great height while over the land 
but on reaching the pond shooting down on a long incline with 
set wings and at a rate of speed that I do not remember to 
have ever seen equalled before by any birds of this species. 
They were remarkably silent for so large a body of birds but 
every now and then they would raise their wild, thrilling 
clamor making the air ring with it for a few moments. 
I did not see any of them flying about in search of food 
but the swimming birds were continually sipping the -water and, 
I think, feeding to some extent on small floating objects. 
