WATER BIRDS 



pleasure is somewhat dimmed by the fact that 

 cripples, with a foot shot away or blood- 

 stained sides, are common in their ranks. 



Josselyn in his " Accomit of two voyages 

 to New England," published in 1675, says of 

 sandpipers: " There are little Birds that fre- 

 quent the Sea-shore in flocks called Sander- 

 lins, they are about the biggness of a Sparrotv, 

 and in the fall of the leaf they be all fat; when 

 I was first in the Countries the English cut 

 them into small pieces to put into their pud- 

 dings instead of suet, I have known twelve 

 score and more kill'd at two shots." 



There is always a chance of seeing less com- 

 mon or even rare shore birds on the beach, 

 but it is out of the question to more than men- 

 tion some of them here. 



One beautiful Siuiday morning in May, I 

 heard the discharge of a gun, and immediately 

 after a flock of knots— canutus, named after 

 King Canute— flew by me on the beach. I 

 looked to see who was breaking two laws b}^ 

 shooting on Sunday and in the spring, when 

 I perceived that the offender had broken also 

 a third law by shooting from a sailing dory 

 off the beach. It was evident that his con- 

 science was too guilty to aUow him to look 



155 



