Anas obscura . 
jCambridge, Mass. 
1897. 
Dec.11. 
1 1899. 
Nov.29, 
The Ducks (seen on Fresh Pond this morning among a large 
flock of Gulls ) were scarcely less interesting for although 
there were only eight of them they represented no less than 
three different species; viz. Anas obscura . A. bosohas , and A. 
( Hettion ) carolinonsis . 
There were five Black Ducks and one Mallard; the latter, 
a female, looked much brighter and browner than the Black 
Ducks, and showed the white on the speculum distinctly. These 
six birds kept together and well within the outer ranks of the 
Gulls. Conscious, no doubt, of their absolute security while 
surrounded by the alert, wary Gulls, the Ducks spent most of 
their time sleeping with their heads buried in the feathers 
(scapulars) of their backs rising and falling on the waves and 
drifting before the wind like so many pieces of floating bark 
for which, indeed, they might have been easily mistaken. But 
every now and then they would raise their heads, close in to¬ 
gether, and swim back to the point whence they had drifted. 
Spent most of the forenoon at Fresh Pond watching the 
water fowl assembled there. Gulls and Ducks intermingled 
covered an area of at least twenty acres . W.Deane counted 
770 Gulls and I 150 Ducks. - The Ducks with a sin¬ 
gle exception (see note on Anas boschas ) were all Black Ducks. 
They have been haunting the pond constantly, I am told, since 
