EARLY SPRING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 277 
just north of the inlet of the pond, where there 
is about three feet of water, and others still 
playing and preening themselves. These ducks, 
whose tame representatives are so sluggish and 
deliberate in their motions, were full of activ¬ 
ity. A party of them fishing and playing is a 
very lively scene. On one side, for instance, you 
will see eight or ten busily diving and most of 
the time under water, not rising high when 
they come up, and soon plunging again. The 
whole surface will be in commotion, though no 
ducks are to be seen. I saw one come up with 
a large fish, whereupon all the rest, as they 
successively came to the surface, gave chase to 
it, while it held its prey over the water in its bill. 
They pursued it with a great rush and clat¬ 
ter a dozen or more rods over the surface, mak¬ 
ing a great furrow in the water, but there be¬ 
ing some trees in the way I could not see the 
issue. I saw’ seven or eight all dive together, 
as with one consent, remaining under, half a 
minute or more. On another side you see a 
party which seem to be playing and pluming 
themselves. They will swim rapidly and dive, 
and come up and dive again every three or four 
feet, occasionally one pursuing another, will flub 
ter in the water, making it fly, or erect them¬ 
selves at full length on the surface like a pen¬ 
guin, and flap their wings. This party make an 
