THE BIRDS OF COBB'S ISLAND, VIRGINIA 



XTENDING along the coast of Virginia is a 

 series of flat grassy islands, many of them so low as to be 

 covered with water at high tide. Among those high enough 

 to be safe from ordinary overflow is Cobb 's Island, a long 

 sand bank which at flood tide is only a few feet above 

 water. In the Autumn of 1896 this island was partially 

 washed away during a storm. Previous to this it was 

 seven miles in length, while in width it exceeded scarcely 

 an eighth of a mile. On its eastern side the ocean broke 

 continuously along the entire length. Stretching along the 

 western shore for perhaps half the distance was a marsh. 

 Among the matted clusters of marsh gfass on this island 

 the beautiful laughing gulls found a summer home. In the 



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