Brewster on Terns oj the New England Coast. 21 



cares they must be in most cases for these poor birds, — the Terns 

 resort again to the sand-bars nearest their chosen fishing-grounds. 

 The waters about Nantucket are a favorite haunt, and through the 

 month of September they swarm about every bay and cove that in- 

 <lents the shore. Their movements, however, depend largely upon 

 those of the blue-fish. These voracious creatures prey upon the 

 smaller fishes, and, hunting always in schools, by their combined 

 action drive the feeble fry to the surface, when they are seized by 

 the Terns. The fishermen rely almost wholly upon the actions of 

 the latter to discover the pi'esence of fish in the Sound, and when 

 a flock of Terns is seen hovering over a certain spot, a school of 

 blue-fish is pretty sure to be at work beneath. 



It is an interesting sight to watch the birds collect. A moment 

 before, perhaps only a few were to be seen, leisurely winnowing their 

 way along the shore ; but in an incredibly short space of time the 

 lucky discoverer of a school is surrounded by hundreds of his fellows, 

 and a perfect swarm of eager, hungry birds poises over the spot. 

 Dozens dash down at once, cleaving the water like darts, and, rising 

 again into the air, shake the salt spray from their feathers by a 

 single energetic movement, and make ready for a fresh plunge. 

 F^very bird among them is screaming his shrillest, and the excite- 

 ment waxes fast and furious. Beneath, the blue-fish are making 

 the water boil by their savage rushes, and there is fun and profit 

 for all save the unfortunate prey. Their position is perhaps the 

 best exemplification of the " frying-pan and the fire " that can be 

 found in nature. 



The descent of a Tern upon its victim is performed with inimi- 

 table ease and grace. The bird frequently disappears entirely be- 

 neath the surface, and occasionally even swims a short distance 

 under water before reappearing. The flight of the Roseate Tern is 

 especially dashing and beautiful, with the long cleft tail streaming 

 out behind, or inclining, rudder-like, to either side, as the bird 

 suddenly changes its course. I have seen the Wilson's Tern pick- 

 ing up floating garbage from the surface in the manner of a Gull, 

 but the food is ordinarily small fishes, which ai'e taken alive. 



In clear calm weather in September few Terns will be seen along 

 shore. They probably wander farther out to sea at such times, or 

 congregate upon the sand-bars to rest and plume themselves. The 

 cleanliness of these birds is remarkable. Not only is the plumage 

 invariably spotless, but I have on more than one occasion seen a 



