i 9 o WILD WINGS 



the dog-fish will waste any pity. This is a small species of 

 shark, which goes about in schools, snapping at fish right and 

 left, making wholesale destruction. The dog-fish were on 

 hand and took hold with their usual greed and ferocity. In 

 a short time we had numbers of them flopping all over the 

 standing-room, each trying to stab us with its sharp abdom- 

 inal spine. It took many heavy blows with a mallet to put 

 them out of commission so that we could appropriate their 

 livers, which are larger than those of most fish ! 



As we were doing this, we noticed off to the southward 

 a flock of terns darting down and plunging excitedly into the 

 water. We knew what it meant, and, hauling aft the sheet, 

 ran off toward them, throwing out a bluefish drail astern. The 

 school of small " bait " disappeared with a plunge as we sailed 

 over it. And then something took the hook with a powerful 

 jerk. Up went the boat into the wind, and after a hard strug- 

 gle a fine eight-pound bluefish came flouncing over the quar- 

 ter. No sooner was the hook overboard again than another 

 grabbed it, but it tore off, and the school was gone. This is 

 one of the important uses of the sea-birds. The mackerel 

 fleet, for instance, is badly handicapped without the birds to 

 indicate where the fish are. The wholesale destruction of 

 these birds for millinery purposes is absolutely criminal, as it 

 is for any gunner to shoot them in wanton "sport." Indeed, 

 there is no skill or sport in it, nothing but contemptible 

 butchery and mean selfishness. Live and let live! 



With a moderate supply of liver-bait we now ran offshore 

 to the southeast, leaving Pollock Rip light-ship dimly show- 

 ing up away to the southward. How strange it is, every time 

 I get off here is different from any other in my experience 

 with birds ! Oh, the Mother Carey's Chickens that there were 

 this day ! We began to encounter them three miles out, and 

 soon, by dropping bits of liver, we had a fine company of 



