268 Wild Ducks, Wafer-Birds, Sea-Fowl. 



In another way the sea-birds are man's helpers. 

 The fisherman has often to take his cue from them. 

 In 1867, the Tynwald Court of Keys in the Isle of 

 Man passed a bill to prevent the feather hunters from 

 destroying the wild-birds of their coast, and they urged 

 this on the ground, among others, that from good evi- 

 dence they considered the gulls of great importance to 

 the herring fishers, as indicators of the localities of the 

 "schools" or shoals of fish, and they added that, they 

 were "of much use for sanitary purposes, by reason 

 that they remove the offal of fish from the harbours 

 and shores." 



The sea-birds have been, and indeed continue to be, 

 favourite subjects with the poets. Their airy, graceful, 

 bold flight and powers of holding themselves suspended, 

 as it were, in the air for so much longer a time than 

 any other bird, unless it may be certain of the eagles, 

 their capability of floating on the waves, and their won- 

 derful powers of diving, have strongly appealed to the 

 tuneful brethren. And no wonder. Here is a verse 

 from one poem, which we much admire for its freedom, 

 swing, and fine sense of the sentiment of the subject : 



" Birds of the sea, they rejoice in storms ; 

 On the top of the wave you may see their forms ; 

 They run and dive, and they whirl and fly, 

 Where the glittering foam-spray breaks on high : 

 And against the face of the strongest gale, 

 Like phantom ships, they soar and sail." 



And here is another from a poem almost equally 

 good : 



" Oh, where doth the sea bird find a home, 

 When the loud winds lash the whitened foam, 

 And the rage of winter with booming swell 

 Is heard like the tones of a demon's yell ? 



