34 THE ARCTURUS ADVENTURE 



discouragingly vast expanse of ocean to watch for 

 possible excitement. 



On October 8th, 1492, Columbus Tells Us 

 "There Were Many Small Land-birds and 

 ONE WAS Taken Which was Flying to the 

 South-west. . . . All Night Birds Were 

 Heard Passing." 



This voyage of voyages was thus in the height 

 of the autumn migration southward. When I 

 steamed slowly through the same waters it was late 

 February, too early for the spring migration, yet 

 twice we too saw "small land-birds," once a sparrow 

 of unknown species, and again a robin, which had 

 been blown far from land. The sparrow rested 

 on our deck at dusk and could not be discovered 

 next morning. The robin circled twice, but al- 

 though hundreds of miles from shore, set bravely 

 out westward without alighting. 



Another curious sight which Columbus could not 

 have seen was a gull with jet-black breast and un- 

 der parts. It so defied all my attempts at identi- 

 fication that I shot it as it soared high over the 

 deck. It proved to be a kittiwake in good condi- 

 tion but with the ventral plumage saturated with 

 oil, into which it must unwittingly have swam. It 

 had fed heartily on the small shrimps and crabs 

 which make their home among the sargassum weed. 



Another Entry in the Log of Columbus: 

 "The Sea was Very Calm, for Which Reason 

 Many Sailors Began to Swim. They saw 

 Many Dorados and Other Fish." 



