Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1875-03-25

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| GuLLED-GENEBAL NOTES.
| Special Correspondence Of the Commercial.
| CAFE MAY, N. j., March 23.
We have had our equinoctial storm, and to
day and yesterday were bright and clear bu
very cold, ice forming two inches thick and ever
the sea had slight coat on its calm surface THU
morning. The air is pure and bracing, howev
or, and the Philadelphia physicians are sending
invallds to us, convaescents who regain healtl
| rapidly i'll our ealt sea air. We have nearly
dozen in the Atlantic Honse at present, ordered
here by their medical advisers. Cape May vii
be Florida, No. 2, presently. They came in {
tempestuous time, but they had the pleasure ol
witnessing all ocean storm, much coveted
sight.
For the past three weeks, quite
ATHoUsAND WILD DUCKS
have been constantly feeding in front of oul
hotel and it's vicinity and by aid of opera glasset
we dscover them to be OF the black duck, blue
bill, and coot species, chiefly but one amateur
gunner of excellent Judgment asserts that can
vasbacks and red heads are among them, though
the latter are very rarely seen in this quarter.
1t is generally believed that the corn from the
wrecked schooner Potr'dge has washed out
and is laying on the ocean bottom there az they
are diving and feeding all the time. Others
think mussel bed IL there, upon which they
arc regallng. On Friday morning at sunrise
they were feeding within a dozen feet of the
Shore in about ten or twelve inches depth OF
water there being but little sea breaking. They
permitted an approach within gun shot, but no
one molested them. Coots are not very dosira-
BILE aud are never shot for table use. All the
others, though
ARE FINE EATING.
Your correspondent approached within a few
yards OF them, armed only with spy glass,
with which their manoeuvres were watched
without disturbing them. Sunday last we saw a
large winter gull find a clam, of the thin shelled
species called here 'sltimmers," because dairy
wives hereabouts skim their cream with the
shells, and taking it in Its beak flew about thirty
feet up in the air, and dropped the clam, break
ing the shell, and alightng fed off its eontents.
This We witnessed three different times, observ-
ing it closely and after the birds departure, ex-
amined the remains of the feast. That the bird
flew into the air with clans to break them we
have heard for the six years that We have been
here, but we never exactly believed it until we
saw 1t, and our readers are allowed the same
pr.vilege-it is true though. Neither do we yet
believe that
THE FISH HAWKS ARE MADE TO DROP
the fish they have caught, by the bald eagles,
and that the latter, making a swoop, catch the
falling fish before reaching the sea or earth be-
meath, and bear it away to feed upon in quiet,
yet we are assured by those who have frequently
seen it that such is the case.
Mr.. Phil. Koenig, resident here, has a spec-
men OF Ille Daiu eagle bluueu, WHICH ne bnOt
while engaged i'll robbiDg fish hawk as de-
scribed. Ihe fish hawks and rock fish are long
past due at Cape May, but this present polar
wave retards them both.
SEA GROVE
is advancing rapidly. The pavilion is more than
half finished, the east side of Lake Lilly is gra-
ded, and looks beautiful and the roads rapid
ly being graded. Several cottages are quite ad-
vanced toward completion and the hotel site is
nearly graded, ready for commencement.
The pilot boat Cropper, while taking off the
pilot warden from the Nederldnd of the Ant
werp line, mounting on high sea at the ships
bow, protruded her bowsprit over the rail of the
steamer and on descending with the sea- crushed
the Iail, tore down her foregard with all at
tached, and ripped the bowsprit out completely
and threw it down ON the windless of the pilot
boat. Such things rarely occur with pilots, for
their constant experience makes them splendid
Of vessels, generally.
The author of this mischief was young in the
business. The crews OF both vessels had live
ly time dodgng falling spars. The hederland
was not detained, but put to sea.
JOHN MoMAKIN.