Mopern CLirr-DwELLrres 
usual comical manner, with “stern” high out of 
water, its tail erected, squinting at me with its sharp 
little eyes. Suddenly it sank, as mysteriously as it 
had appeared, and that was all I saw of this waif of 
the ocean. 
While it is not surprising that birds like the 
Puffin and Razor-bill, that breed quite far to the 
north, prefer to winter north of Massachusetts, we 
certainly might expect to see more of the Black 
Guillemot, since it breeds so abundantly no further 
away ihians the coast of Maine. Now and then I 
have seen a small party of them in mid-winter off 
the rocks of Manomet, and similar places, yet rather 
infrequently. But around Matinicus at that season 
they are more abundant than ever. How different 
our familiar ‘Sea Pigeon” looks in its winter dress, 
the biack ot summer changed to gray and white. 
The only thing about it that looks natural is the 
white patch on the wing. 
I know of no better place to observe the sea- 
birds off the Massachusetts coast in winter than on 
the fishing-g erounds off Chatham. One favourable 
day in my experience will illustrate what may be 
seen. I was spending Christmas week with a fisher- 
man for the purpose of studying the various marine 
birds, and had arranged with him to sail me out 
over the bars upon the first possible occasion. For 
nearly the whole week the bars were too rough to 
cross. But on the last day of the old year, dark 
and threatening though it was, we made the attempt, 
and succeeded in getting “outside.” Just off the 
entrance we began to meet Brunnich’s Murres bob- 
bing about on the water. By the time we got 
93 
