ORNITHOLOGY 



385 



While at rest in the birches, these 

 birds would occasionally utter a soft 

 warble, similar to that of the pur])le 

 finch. 



As the birds flew from this grove, 

 an unusual incident occurred which 

 nearly resulted in the death of one 

 of the fine males. A high, chicken-wire 

 fence nearby was evidently not seen, 

 and this bird, flying violently against 

 the wire about eight feet from the 

 ground, became so securely caught in 

 the strong mesh, with its head and part 

 of one wing through the wire, that it 

 it could not move either way. Releas- 

 ing the unfortunate bird, I had the 

 pleasure of holding this beautiful spec- 

 imen in my hand and closely examin- 

 ing it, and also of finding that it was 

 able to fly; learning later that it had 

 joined its fellows and was observed 

 with them daily, suffering only the loss 

 of a good many of its fine feathers. 



Several evening grosbeaks have been 

 reported to have been caught by cats. 

 and a number of the flocks have some- 

 what diminished in number since first 

 observed. It is probable that their 

 natural environment in the great north 

 west has caused them to be fearless of 

 man and his civilized surroundings, 

 and that they have yet to learn that 

 "eternal vigilance is the price of life," — 

 especially for beautiful, forest-bred 

 creatures when they visit our city 

 vards and suburban waysides. 



Bird-Fishers. 



BY H. STUART DOVE. M.R. A. O. U. MEM- 

 BER TAS. FlEED NAT. CLUB, WEST DEVON- 

 PORT, TASMANIA. 



The other afternoon I was watching 

 some crested terns (Sterna bergii. Lichf.) 

 taking fish from the waters of Bass 

 Strait, which divide Tasmania from Aus- 

 tralia. The birds were evidently follow- 

 ing up small fry, for they dived only a 

 short distance out from the 'beach, in the 

 shallow water just behind a breaking 

 wave. One of them seemed much more 

 exoert than his fellows, for he would go 

 in half a dozen times in five minutes, and 

 aDparently secure his Drey each time : the 

 others, perhaps only once in three or four 

 minutes. 



Nothing could be more graceful than 

 the evolutions of these "sea-swallows" 

 with lonsr wings and forked tails, twist- 

 ing- and tnrnino- ?s they made their de- 

 scent as if follo'^'ing every movement of 

 the fish which was marked for their own 



One would frequently take up his station 

 just opposite where 1 was sitting, and 

 hover, kestrel-like, with rapidly vibrat- 

 ing wings, at a height of about twenty 

 to twenty-five feet above the water ; the 

 black-capped head bent down, the eyes 

 searching for prey beneath. When head- 

 on in this way he reminded me of nothing 

 so much as a gigantic hummingbird 

 hawk-moth hovering in front of a Innicli 

 of blossoms. 



Several seasons ago I was privileged 

 to witness a wonderful spectacle in the 

 invasion of these waters by thousands of 

 large gannets {Siila australia, Gould). 

 Although I have repeatedly watched these 

 fine birds diving oft" the coast of New 

 South Wales and elsewhere, yet I never 

 remember seeing them in such great num- 

 bers as on this occasion. 



There is a quiet stretch of sea water 

 resembling a large lake just to the east 

 of Devonport breakwater, by which it is 

 sheltered from the prevailing "wester- 

 lies." Into this, on a fine afternoon, the 

 gannets would tumble by dozens and 

 scores from a good height in the air, 

 reminding the observer of a huge shower 

 of snowflakes as the beautiful white 

 plumage glistened in the sun's rays. It 

 was marvellous how they avoided strik- 

 ing each other when they descended in 

 such numbers and with such velocity, — 

 each apparently oblivious of everything 

 except that one small object which it had 

 sighted beneath the surface. The greater 

 the depth, the higher does the bird ascend 

 in order to gain sufficient impetus to reach 

 his prey. The descent is a literal "head- 

 er," the gannet usually entering the waves 

 nearly vertically, and with a distinct 

 splash : a perceptible interval elapsing be- 

 fore he reappears some little distance 

 away, giving his yellowish beak a twist 

 backwards and forwards after swallow- 

 ing his prey. 



The gannet usually sits for a few 

 seconds upon the water before taking an- 

 other turn aloft, thus differing from the 

 tern, which takes to its wings the moment 

 it reaches the surface. When diving in 

 shallow water close to the rocks, the gan- 

 net begins its descent from a height of 

 ten or twelve feet only. In making the 

 dive the wings are not closed, as is usual- 

 ly supposed, at the beginning of the de- 

 scent, but remain exiianded until the l^ird 

 is close to the surface, and apDarently 

 assist in guiding it to the exact spot. It 

 then claps them suddenly to the side of 



