46 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



THE SPANISH BIGHT 

 "The marsh which fringes it is interesting" 



game of tag - with the waves as if for 

 the pure fun of the race. 



Out at sea the gulls and terns are 

 soaring and diving, the latter easily 

 distinguished by the bill pointing 

 downward "like a huge mosquito," as 

 Coues says, while that of the gull 

 points forward on the plane of his 

 body. The terns, with long, slender 

 wings and graceful, circling flight, 



deserve their title of "sea swallows." 

 The black cormorant or "shag," with 

 long neck and snake-like head, flies 

 low over the water. The brown peli- 

 cans are usually in companies like 

 soldiers, soaring or napping their 

 great wings in unison with military 

 precision. When they break ranks 

 and indulge in fishing, there is a great 

 splash as the huge beak strikes the 

 water. The enormous bulk disappears 

 beneath the surface to rise and sail 

 away triumphant, if a thieving gull be 

 not at hand to relieve him of the catch. 



The wild dance of the spray as the 

 surf dashes against the rough rocks of 

 the breakwater tempts to a walk. along 

 the boulevard to the Spanish bight. 

 The marsh which fringes it is inter- 

 esting as the home of a lone fisherman 

 who stalks in slow dignity along its 

 borders, keeping a watchful eye for 

 poachers on his preserves. Now and 

 then he wades out into deeper water 

 and stands motionless, his convenient 

 spear poised in readiness for unwary 

 fish. At the approach of an intruder 

 he lifts his great gray wings and sails 

 away. 



A contrast to the sand-hill crane is 

 a tiny dweller in the marsh who makes 

 known her presence in a sharp scold- 



'WATCH THE HUGE GREEN WALL RISE WITH SLOW, MAJESTIC SWELL" 



