AMONG THE WaATER-FowlL 
The specially interesting feature of this influx 
of Jaegers was the variety of their plumages. It 
seemed as though there were no two individuals 
alike. This was not altogether a surprise to me, as 
the fishermen the day before had told me that there 
was an unusual flight of “ Jiddies.”’ ‘The Pomarine 
Jaeger, the largest species, is here usually the com- 
monest, and was certainly so on the present occasion. 
A smaller species, the Parasitic Jaeger, was about 
half as numerous. I did not see any of the Long- 
Tailed Jaeger, which, according to my experience, 
is far scarcer than these two, only scattering ones 
appearing now and then. 
Each of these species is found to assume a 
number of types of plumage, and even experts are 
considerably at sea regarding their sequences” “As 
the birds now flew about the boat, some had long 
tails, some short ones; some had white breasts, 
others dark ; some were in light plumage, some in 
a phase of a sooty color; some were marked, others 
plain; some were Gaseed, others speckled, dnd fe) 
on, this being true of hoch kindss» There 1s’a great 
deal here to learn. I would suggest that some 
competent naturalist go out there with the fisher- 
men, catch a number of Jaegers, and watch their 
feather-changes in captivity. Such an experiment 
would furnish a very instructive chapter in orni- 
thology, could it be carried out. 
Better in some respects than the waters of Cape 
Cod for observing the habits of the Ocean Wan- 
derers and other water-birds are those off Cape 
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