FOLLOWING THE WATER-BIRDS 165 



vantage that certain species can be seen there which 

 hardly ever come as far south as Massachusetts, not- 

 ably the auk family, and some ducks like the king 

 eider and harlequin. The latter are common off the 

 coast of Maine in late fall and winter, but are rare 

 farther south. 



The most satisfactory way in these days to gain 

 intimate knowledge of the seabirds is to visit the col- 

 onies protected by the Government and the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies. While these must 

 not be allowed to become tourist resorts, students who 

 are responsible persons can secure permission to visit 

 them under the guidance of wardens. They must not 

 keep the birds off their nests or frighten the young 

 into the sea, yet, with very little trespassing upon the 

 privacy of the birds, wonderful sights can be gained. 

 Such a place as Great Bird Rock, off the coast of 

 Newfoundland, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, will re- 

 pay any effort to reach. The spectacle of those thou- 

 sands of birds sitting on their nests on the edges of 

 the cliffs or swarming in the air, while the surf thun- 

 ders against the rocks below, will cause one to thrill 

 every time it is brought again to mind. The best 

 time to go is in July, when there are both eggs and 

 young. The birds have mostly laid their eggs by 

 the middle of June. 



It would take too much space even briefly to de- 

 scribe or characterize all the water-birds, but it is 

 hoped that the few hints in this chapter may be 

 enough to stimulate some interest and give at least 



