GRAY WINGS 



229 



moving about on the wing in a fog, loses its 

 shore line and drifts out to sea. It is not an 

 unusual sight to see a half dozen of them five 

 hundred miles from the coast, skimming along 

 the surface, wheeling at sharp angles, and flash- 

 ing the white of their under wing-feathers in 

 the sun. When so seen they fly very rapidly, 

 veer very often, and shift their course capri- 

 ciously. It is always quite evident that they 

 are lost, that they are beating about the waters 

 as homing pigeons circle in the upper air when 

 trying to orient themselves. Shipwrecked sail- 

 ors in an open boat are hardly more helpless 

 or more frightened. 



Even more terror-stricken are the small land 

 birds like the finches and warblers that singly 

 or in pairs are sometimes seen far out on the 

 ocean. By some error in night travel or by 

 reason of fog or driving storm they lose their 

 bearings and quickly get out of sight of land. 

 When a ship with its masts is sighted they turn 

 to it, no doubt, as to a tree in the desert; and 

 no noise or attempts at capture will drive them 

 away for more than a few minutes. They re- 

 turn and cling wearily to the shrouds or ride 

 on the cross-trees sitting in a ruffled and hud- 

 dled heap with all jauntiness gone, and all song 

 reduced to a saddened " cheep ! " 



Sand 

 pipers 

 lost at tea. 



Finches 

 anil 



wnrblers in 

 the shroitds. 



