Ocean Wanderers 



occasional flocks of Phalaropes, or " Whale-birds," 

 as the tishermen there call them, during August. 

 Once, in the middle of June, I met a flock ot 

 twenty No'^thern Phalaropes just oft' Matinicus 

 Rock. But I never had any conception ot the 

 abundance ot these pretty birds in their migrations 

 until one August, off Cape Sable. The hshermen 

 told me that Hags, Sea-Hens and Mother Carey's 

 Chickens were less plentiful than usual that season, 

 having lollowed the iish elsewhere, but there were 

 " millions ot ' Sea-Geese.' " From their description 

 I knew that these latter were Phalaropes, and I took 

 an early opportimity to pay them a visit. 



I was fortunate in securing passage on a sub- 

 stantial little eleven-ton schooner, manned by a 

 father and two or three stout sons. It was a nice 

 day with a light breeze, most tavourable for the 

 work in hand. We glided tron\ the sandv cove 

 with its wharf and fish-houses, and bv the time that 

 the white beaches and green spruce-tracts were 

 becoming dim in the distance, seeming to slide away 

 from us, rather than we from them, we were in the 

 haunts of the Phalaropes. Flocks ot them began to 

 fly by, and then we passed flocks in the water, some- 

 times quietly dressing their beautitully smooth 

 plumage, or splashing and trolicking on the smooth 

 ocean surface. Every bunch or patch ot drift-weed 

 supported all the Phalaropes it would hold. 



We began our fishing when the land was but 

 dimly in sight. All around us the Phalaropes were 

 flying and sporting, always in flocks ot halt a dozen 

 or more. Each tiny bird, when at rest, rode lightly 

 and gracefully upon the water, and I was reminded 



121 



