190 
WILD WINGS 
the dog-fish will waste any pity. This is a small species of 
shark, which goes about in schools, snapping at fish right and 
left, making wholesale destruction. The dog-fish were on 
hand and took hold with their usual greed and ferocity. In 
a short time we had numbers of them flopping all over the 
standing-room, each trying to stab us with its sharp abdom¬ 
inal spine. It took many heavy blows with a mallet to ]3ut 
them out of commission so that we could appropriate their 
livers, which are larger than those of most fish ! 
As we were doing this, we noticed ofi to the southward 
a flock of terns darting down and plunging excitedly into the 
water. We knew what it meant, and, hauling aft the sheet, 
ran off toward them, throwing out a bluefish drail astern. The 
school of small “ bait ” disappeared with a plunge as we sailed 
over it. And then something took the hook with a powerful 
jerk. Up went the boat into the wind, and after a hard strug¬ 
gle a fine eight-pound bluefish came flouncing over the (juar- 
ter. No sooner was the hook overboard again than another 
grabbed it, but it tore off, and the school was gone. This is 
one of the important uses of the sea-birds. The mackerel 
fleet, for instance, is badly handicapped without the birds to 
indicate where the fish are. The wholesale destruction of 
these birds for millinery purposes is absolutely criminal, as it 
is for any gunner to shoot them in wanton “sport.” Indeed, 
there is no skill or sport in it, nothing but contemptible 
butchery and mean selfishness. Live and let live! 
With a moderate supply of liver-bait we now ran offshore 
to the southeast, leaving Pollock Rip light-ship dimly show¬ 
ing up away to the southward. How strange it is, every time 
I get off here is different from any other in my exjDerience 
with birds ! Oh, the Mother Carey’s Chickens that there were 
this day 1 We began to encounter them three miles out, and 
soon, by droj^ping liits of liver, we had a fine company of 
