COBB'S ISLAND 



73 



that they can be bent as readily as a table knife, one might 

 be pardoned for believing the Skimmer 's bill a deformity ; 

 but the belief is quickly dispelled when once the bird is seen 

 feeding. Flying low, with bill opened wide, the lower man- 

 dible cuts the water like a knife edge, as the birds actually 

 skim the surface for fish and small forms of aquatic life. 



Laughing Gulls on Their Nests in the Marsh 



In the newly hatched bird, it is of exceeding interest to 

 observe that the mandibles are of virtually equal length, and 

 the lower mandible does not become pronouncedly longer 

 than the upper until the bird takes wing. This may be con- 

 sidered as evidence that this highly specialized character 

 has been developed late in the history of the species ; or the 

 development of the bill may be a correlation in growth which 

 defers the perfection of an organ until it can be successfully 

 employed. Certainly without the power of flight, a Skimmer 

 could not ' * skim. ' ' Until, therefore, the bird can fly, it sup- 

 plements the supply of food brought by the parents by pick- 

 ing up a living along the beach. 



Skimmers were frequently seen feeding during the day, 

 particularly along the meeting line of sand and sea, where 



