MODERN CLIFF-DWELLERS 



usual comical manner, with "stern" high out of 

 water, its tail erected, squinting at me with its sharp 

 little eyes. Suddenly it sank, as mysteriously as it 

 had appeared, and that was all I saw of this waif of 

 the ocean. 



While it is not surprising that birds like the 

 Puffin and Razor-bill, that breed quite far to the 

 north, prefer to winter north of Massachusetts, we 

 certainly might expect to see more of the Black 

 Guillemot, since it breeds so abundantly no further 

 away than the coast of Maine. Now and then I 

 have seen a small party of them in mid-winter off 

 the rocks of Manomet, and similar places, yet rather 

 infrequently. But around Matinicus at that season 

 they are more abundant than ever. How different 

 our familiar "Sea Pigeon" looks in its winter dress, 

 the black of summer changed to gray and white. 

 The only thing about it that looks natural is the 

 white patch on the wing. 



I know of no better place to observe the sea- 

 birds off the Massachusetts coast in winter than on 

 the fishing-grounds off Chatham. One favourable 

 day in my experience will illustrate what may be 

 seen. I was spending Christmas week with a fisher- 

 man for the purpose of studying the various marine 

 birds, and had arranged with him to sail me out 

 over the bars upon the first possible occasion. For 

 nearly the whole week the bars were too rough to 

 cross. But on the last day of the old year, dark 

 and threatening though it was, we made the attempt, 

 and succeeded in getting " outside." Just off the 

 entrance we began to meet Brunnich's Murres bob- 

 bing about on the water. By the time we got 



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