on effects upon bird life of Corpxis Christi storm , August, 1916. 59


drew the attention of the people to the coming wall of water. All of

the Pelicans began to run and flutter towards the higher ground, but

the fearful rolling, foaming waves caught and swallowed them in less

time than it takes to tell it. Not one was left on the shore. Some

of them could bt 'een for a time riding the terrible billows. Others

were simply floating ; no doubt many of them were dead.


The screaming of the Gulls and the roar of the wind and

waves was intense. Just how the Gulls were able to drift ahead

of the storm so long and keep from being dashed into the waves is

hard to determine, but being lighter and able to take wing more

easily than the Pelicans they seemed to glance across the waves and

meet the air again without entirely losing control. Thus they

escaped being rolled into the waves, which were dashed together

with great force and which caused such terrible destruction to the

Pelicans. After the first dash, when the water rolled high upon

the beach, the Gulls began to roll, partly flying, walking, and being

blown along, towards the higher ground. As they reached com¬

paratively high spots they veered about with their heads towards

the water and moved inland by a peculiar backing movement.

Drawing the wings together and raising the hind part of the body, a

Gull would hold its head to the ground and seemingly jump straight

up in order that the wind might carry it a few feet inland. In most

instances the head would drag on the ground something like an

anchor, and after accepting such a boost the Gull would let its body

fall down flat. In case it lost its balance and was taken up by the

wind and turned over, it would draw up its legs and contract its

wings so that when it hit the sand it would roll over and over. In

this way many of them worked their way far enough inland to avoid

the terrible crash of the debris that was brought in by the waves

after the first set had reached the shore, and the water had risen to

a point somewhat above high tide.


As the foaming waves began to deposit the wrecks of bath

houses, piers and pavilions along the beach, many water birds of

various kinds could be seen in the wreckage. Some of them were

alive ; though it seems impossible, several Gulls and Terns fluttered

out of the drifts and escaped to the shore. The waves pounded the

drifts with such force that if a bird did not escape as soon as it came


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