OcEAN WANDERERS 
intervals of sailing, skimmed low over the surface 
of the water in an irregular course, till lost to sight. 
The name “ Shearwater’? had been to me a mere 
book-term; henceforth it was a reality. 
A few miles further out we noticed a flock of 
about twenty birds resting on the water. As we 
approached, we saw that they were of the same 
sort, except that one was of a dark sooty colour. 
The skipper, who knew their ways, mischievously 
steered the boat just to windward of them. The 
wind was then very light, and the sail shut off, for 
the time, what little there was, so that the birds, as 
they were quite tame and did not rise soon enough, 
found themselves unable to leave the water. One 
of them, by frantic flapping and paddling, just man- 
aged to clear the bow of the craft and avoid being 
run over. ‘The others turned, and fluttered off to 
leeward, squawking and wailing in their terror. 
The dark one was of the species called the “Sooty 
Shearwater ;”” the other kind bears the specific name 
ot “< Greater.” 
Before this I had only one or two distant 
glimpses from steamers at Petrels, or “ Mother 
Gareys)@hickens.”:/Out here the curious little 
swallow-like creatures—sooty in colour, except for 
a white band on the rump—were everywhere flit- 
ting and pattering about. They fly in the most 
irregular manner, as though they had no special 
destination in view, as indeed they have not, care- 
less where chance may lead, if only it is to food; 
and it is surprising how quickly these ocean wan- 
derers can discover the presence of a supply. After 
we had fished awhile, the skipper suggested that we 
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