176 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



sea-swallows and terns. These daring little people 

 of the air live on the waste from ships and various 

 water insects and animals. Their wings seem never 

 to grow weary, and if they should, the tiny crea- 

 tures have but to settle on a wave while it rocks and 

 lulls them to sleep amid the swelling foam and lace- 

 like seaweed of the ocean. Distance has no terror 

 for them. If one suddenly desires to fly home to 

 distant Fundy or to a nameless craig near Cape 

 Horn, it rises like a wind-blown feather and disap- 

 pears like a vision in the distance 1 How clumsy 

 are our airships, with their awkward planes, com- 

 pared to the dainty wings and the lightning-like 

 rapidity of motion which whirls this little fellow 

 over thousands of miles of trackless water 1 



The frigate bird is one of the most powerful aero- 

 nauts, and might be termed the "Zeppelin" of the 

 air. He can dive from the clouds with astounding 

 rapidity, and is quite as much at home on the water 

 as in the air. His body is no larger than a raven's, 

 yet his wings are the most remarkable, and com- 

 paratively the longest of any of the aviators. His 

 beak is exceedingly sharp and strong, winning for 

 him the title, "the eagle of the sea." Because of 

 his terrible talons, he is the most dreaded of birds. 

 He soars among the clouds like a giant airship, and 

 drops like a cannon-ball upon his helpless prey. 



