AMONG THE WATER-FOWL 



The specially interesting feature of this influx 

 of Jaegers was the variety of their plumages. It 

 seemed as though there were no two individuals 

 alike. This was not altogether a surprise to me, as 

 the fishermen the day before had told me that there 

 was an unusual flight of " Jiddies." The Pomarine 

 Jaeger, the largest species, is here usually the com- 

 monest, and was certainly so on the present occasion. 

 A smaller species, the Parasitic Jaeger, was about 

 half as numerous. I did not see any of the Long- 

 Tailed Jaeger, which, according to my experience, 

 is far scarcer than these two, only scattering ones 

 appearing now and then. 



Each of these species is found to assume a 

 number of types of plumage, and even experts are 

 considerably at sea regarding their sequence. As 

 the birds now flew about the boat, some had long 

 tails, some short ones ; some had white breasts, 

 others dark ; some were in light plumage, some in 

 a phase of a sooty color ; some were marked, others 

 plain; some were barred, others speckled, and so 

 on, this being true of both kinds. There is a great 

 deal here to learn. I would suggest that some 

 competent naturaliit go out there with the fisher- 

 men, catch a number of Jaegers, and watch their 

 feather-changes in captivity. Such an experiment 

 would furnish a very instructive chapter in orni- 

 thology, could it be carried out. 



Better in some respects than the waters of Cape 

 Cod for observing the habits of the Ocean Wan- 

 derers and other water-birds are those off Cape 



118 



