The Newtown bee., 1902-12-19

ground or in holes in cliffs. The
shearwaters wander far, being seen
off the "Banks'' of Newfoundland
about the first of May, following the
migrations of various kinds
of fish: They are :found all
over the northern ocean until
autumn, when they gradually withdraw
as cold weather comes on. Fishermen
say that they rarely or never see them
in winter.
In referring to gulIs, "The White
winged Fleet, Mr. Job says that there
is no class of birds more beautiful, more
interesting, more picturesque than
these "exquiSite SnOwy-plumaged crea-
lures, most Of'the pearly-mantled, that
grace our lake and ocean shores. With
easy fight they winnow the air, wheel
ing and circling even to the clouds.
Some dart headlOng to surprise the
wary fish; others float down like snow
flakes to take what the sea has cast up
either in buoyant flocks upon the wa
ter, or to dress their spotless plumage
upon the strand. The loss would be
unutterable were this feet to be lost
in the gale of fashion upon the cruel
rocks Of selfish and senseless millinery
Decree"
Mr. Job writes enthusiastically and
effectively of these birds, and the pas
sageS describing their hauntS are
among the best in the book. He says,
in part:
Social in disposition, it is the uni
verSal habit of these dainty creatures
to resort together in large colonies at
the nesting season for the rearing of
their young; and of all the picturesque
spots on earth 1 place in very high
L nR n n Of thai 70 oo1pv, ioc
One there is in Nova Scotia which
seems to me to be particularly beauti-
full. With two companions I stood
one clear, calm morning of early Sep
TENDER upon a wharf at Clarkes har-
Dor, Cape Sable Island, listening to
the tale of woe of our would-be fisher
man skipper, as he portrayed the i'm
possibility of reaching Seal Island, 20
miles out to sea, against strong head
tides, and with what little wind there
was also contrary. This was our last
not bear to abandon it. So, after the
prophet of evil had departed 1 pro-
posed that we start of without him
In the 23-foot sloOp. 1t was slow work,
but at length we sighted the rocky
shores and spruce-grOwn area, and by
shutdown the sloOp was anchored of q
cove.
Before sunrise next morning we
were in the lighthouse tower The
cold, dark sea, fOam-flecked, spread out
beyond, the shores of Nova Scotia
dimly visible to the northeast. Before
US stretched the dark, spruce covered
island, spectacle shaped, the two lobes
connected by narrow bar. Dotted
all over the spruces were snowy her
ring gulls perched upon their tops;
many others were already awning, fly
ing out to sea to feed, squealinR and
cackling necessarily. The sky was
clear, and the east already rosy red,
changing its hueS moment by moment
as the sun approached the horizon. All
at once the golden orb seemed to fairly
bound from the deep, and instantly
the whole scene was wonderfully trans
formed. The ocean, recently SO dark,
now glittered and sparkled as with
ed under their baptism of fire; the
gulls were CLEANS of living radiance.
From the spruces extended long line
OF them in flight, going mile or more
out to some shOal water, where large
flock was riding at anchor and others
were lowering over schools of fish.
In the final chapter, "Wild-fow of
Wild-fOwl," Mr. Job remarks, with
pardonable pride, that he has found
the nests and eggs of 10 species of
ducks, and has seen the young of one
other.
Mr. Job says that the staple standard
fowl for the hunter is the s'dusky," or
''black" duck, excellent for the table,
and one of the warieSt of them all.
Next to it in abundance of fresh-water
ducks is the handsome wood" duck.
He says:
With these two, as residents, the
hunting season begins, and they are
about all the ducks we have until with
the early frosts the migrants begin to
appear. Pintails, mallardS and red
heads come as often as any of this
migratory class. Sometimes when I
have watched through a loophole in
the "stand" bunch of mallards or
redheads out on the pond, the green
or red heads Of the males glistening in
the sunlight, have felt that the staid
OLD New England pond was being born
again: Such .glories seemed foreign
BILE that for five years, saw. duck shoot
ing could absolutely cease. and The
ponds be again populated as they once
were. Baldpates come rather sparine-
~, usually single ones with other
ducks, while the gadwail, shoveller
and canyaSback are only rare Stragglers |
now. l fear this may some day be the /
case with the little rudy duck that }
cOmeS-When it does cOme-in cOnSid-
cradle hOckS, and allows gunnerS to
row up and exterminate them. have
often known cases in which out of a
large flock not single Individual got
out Of the pond alive.