At the Water's Edge 



brought into unexpected dependence upon the 

 moon. 



A few days later, on the same beach, I had 

 the quite unusual opportunity of seeing an im- 

 mense migration-wave of gulls, passing close 

 by the shore. They were evidently not anx- 

 ious to make a short journey of it, otherwise 

 they would have cut across from Cape May to 

 Montauk Point, instead of skirting along the 

 entire coast of New Jersey and Long Island. 



They did not form one solid group, in their 

 flight, as wild geese often do, but passed along, 

 sometimes in a continuous stream, at other 

 times in detached flocks in close succession, 

 varying in numbers from ten to forty, and oc- 

 casionally in such compact masses as to be 

 quite imposing. For the most part they flew 

 very close to the water, as when skimming 

 the surface for food; but one flock of about 

 seventy-five passed high overhead and descend- 

 ed to the water farther on. Being interested 

 to form an estimate of the entire number, I 

 counted one hundred and sixty that passed 

 in five minutes, and as the "wave" lasted 

 with little interruption for nearly two hours 

 while I was watching it, and had apparently 

 begun before I arrived at the beach, it doubt- 

 177 



