516 BeACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATEh. 
dashing immersions of the Tern, the Gull, or the Fish-Hawk, who, to 
the superficial observer, appear so superiorly accommodated. _ ? 
_ The Sheerwater is. most frequently seen skimming close along shore’ 
about the first of the flood, at which time the young fry, shrimp, &c., - 
are most abundant in such places. There are also numerous inlets 
among the low islands between the sea-beach and mainland of Cape 
May, where I have observed the Sheerwaters, eight or ten in company, 
passing and repassing, at high water, particular estuaries of those 
creeks that run up into the salt marshes, dipping, with extended neck, 
their open bills into the water, with as much apparent ease as Swal- 
lows glean up flies' from the surface.. On examining the stomachs of 
several of these, shot at the time, they contained numbers.of a smalh 
fish, usually called silver-sides, from a broad line of a glossy silver 
color that runs from the gills to the tail. The mouths of these inlets 
abound with this fry, or fish, probably feeding on the various matters 
waslied down from the marshes. : 
The voice of the Sheerwater’ is harsh and screaming, resembling 
that of the Tern, but stronger. It flies with a slowly flapping flight, 
dipping, occasionally, with steady, expanded wings and bended’ neck, 
its lower mandible into the sea, and with open mouth receiving its food 
as it ploughs along the surface. It is rarely seen swimming on the 
water; but frequently rests in large parties on the sand bars at low 
water. One of these birds, which I wounded in the wing, and kept in 
the room beside me for several days, soon became tame, and even 
familiar. It generally stood with its legs erect, its body horizontal, and 
‘its neck rather extended. Jt frequently reposed on its belly, and 
stretching its neck, rested its long bill on the floor. It spent most of 
its time in this way, or in dressing and arranging its plumage with its 
long, scissors-like bill, which it seemed to perform with great easé and 
dexterity, It refused every kind of food offered it, and I am persuaded 
never feeds but when on the wing. As to the reports of its frequent- 
ing oyster beds, and feeding on these fish, they are contradicted by all 
those persons with whom I have conversed, whose long residence on 
the coast where these birds are common, has given them the best op- 
portunities of knowing. 
The Sheerwater is nineteen inches in length, from the point of the 
bill to the extremity of the tail; the tips of the wings, when shut, ex- 
tend full four inches farther ; breadth, three feet eight inches; length 
of the lower mandible, four inches and a half; of the upper, three 
inches and a half; both of a scarlet red, tinged with orange, and end- 
ing in black; the lower extremely thin; the upper grooved, so as to 
receive the edge of the lower; the nostrilis large and pervious, placed 
in a hollow near the base and edge of the upper mandible, where it 
projects greatly over the lower; upper part of the head, neck, back, 
and scapulars, deep black ; wings, the same, except the secondaries, 
whick are white on the inner vanes, and also tipped with white ; tail, 
forked, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones about an 
inch and a half shorter than the exterior ones, all black, broadly edged 
on both sides with white; tail-coverts, white on the outer sides, black 
in the middle; front, passing down the neck below the eye, throat, 
breast, and whole lower parts, pure white; legs and webbed feet, bright 
scarlet; formed almost exactly like those of the Tern. Weicht, twelve 
ounces avoirdupois. The female weighed nine ounces, and measured 
