CHAP. xii. THE PICKIETAR SHOT. 239 



beautiful curve as he rises without having touched 

 the water. Shortly after, he wings his way nearer and 

 nearer to the beach : onwards he advances with zig- 

 zag flight, when suddenly, as if struck down by an 

 unseen hand, he drops into the water within about 

 thirty yards of the place where I was standing. As 

 he righted and sat on the bosom of the deep, I was 

 enabled distinctly to perceive that he held in his bill 

 a little scaly captive which he had snatched from its 

 home, and which struggled violently to regain its 

 liberty. Its struggles were in vain : a few squeezes 

 from the mandibles of the bird put an end to its 

 existence. 



" Being now within my reach, I stood prepared 

 for the moment when he should again arise. This he 

 did so soon as the fish was despatched. I fired, and 

 he came down with a broken wing, screaming as he 

 fell into the water. The report of the gun, together 

 with his cries, brought together the party he had left, 

 in order that they might ascertain the cause of the 

 alarm. After surveying their wounded brother round 

 and round, as he was drifting unwittingly toward the 

 shore with the flowing tide, they came flying in a 

 body to the spot where I stood, and rent the air with 

 their screams. These they continued to utter, re- 

 gardless of their own individual safety, until I began 

 to make preparations for receiving the approaching 

 bird. I could already see that it was a beautiful 

 adult specimen ; and I expected in a few moments 



