BLACK SKIMMER. | 207 
of Skimmers alighted and apparently asleep, on a dry grassy part of 
the interior of Galveston Island in Texas, while I was watching some 
marsh hawks that were breeding in the neighbourhood. On returning 
to the shore, however, I found that the tide was much higher than usual, 
in consequence of a recent severe gale, and had covered all the sand 
banks on which I had at other times observed them resting by day. 
The instinct or sagacity which enables the Razor-bills, after being 
scattered in all directions in quest of food during a long night, often at 
great distances from each other, to congregate again towards morning, 
previously to their alighting on a spot to rest, has appeared to me truly 
wonderful; and I have been tempted to believe that the place of ren- 
dezvous had been agreed upon the evening before. They have a great 
enmity towards Crows and Turkey Buzzards when at their breeding 
ground, and on the first appearance of these marauders, some dozens of 
Skimmers at once give chase to them, rarely desisting until quite out 
of sight. 
Although parties of these birds remove from the south to betake 
themselves to the eastern shores, and breed there, they seldom arrive 
at Great Egg Harbour before the middle of May, or deposit their eggs 
until a month after, or about the period when, in the Floridas and on 
the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, the young are hatched. To 
these latter sections of the country we will return, Reader, to observe 
their actions at this interesting period. Were I to speak of the vast 
numbers that congregate for the purpose of breeding, some of my 
readers might receive the account with as little favour as they have ac- 
corded to that which I have given of the wild pigeons; and therefore 
I will present you with a statement by my friend the Rev. Joun 
Bacuman, which he has inserted in my journal. ‘‘ These birds are 
very abundant, and breed in great numbers on the sea islands at Bull’s 
Bay. Probably twenty thousand nests were seen at a time. The 
sailors collected an enormous number of their eggs. The birds screamed 
all the while, and whenever a Pelican or Turkey Buzzard passed near, 
they assailed it by hundreds, pouncing on the back of the latter, that 
came to rob them of their eggs, and pursued them fairly out of sight. 
They had laid on the dry sand, and the following morning we observed 
many fresh-laid eggs, when some had been removed the previous after- 
noon.” Then, Reader, judge of the deafening angry cries of such a 
multitude, and see them all over your head begging for mercy as it 
