Brewster on Terns oj the New England Coast. 21 
cares they must be in most cases for these poor birds, — the Terns 
resort again to the sand-bars nearest their chosen fishing-grounds. 
The waters about Nantucket are a favorite haunt, and through the 
month of September they swarm about every bay and cove that in- 
dents the shore. Their movements, however, depend largely upon 
those of the blue-fish. These voracious creatures prey upon the 
smaller fishes, and, hunting always in schools, by their combined 
action drive the feeble fry to the surface, wdien they are seized by 
the Terns. The fishermen rely almost wholly upon the actions of 
the latter to discover the presence of fish in the Sound, and when 
a flock of Terns is seen hovering over a certain spot, a school of 
blue-fish is pretty sure to be at work beneath. 
It is an interesting sight to watch the birds collect. * A moment 
before, perhaps only a few were to be seen, leisurely winnowing their 
way along the shore ; but in an incredibly short space of time the 
lucky discoverer of a school is surrounded by hundreds of his fellows, 
and a perfect swarm of eager, hungry birds poises over the spot. 
Dozens dash down at once, cleaving the water like darts, and, rising 
again into the air, shake the salt spray from their feathers by a 
single energetic movement, and make ready for a fresh plunge. 
Every bird among them is screaming his shrillest, and the excite- 
ment waxes fast and furious. Beneath, the blue-fish are making 
the water boil by their savage rushes, and there is fun and profit 
for all save the unfortunate prey. Their position is perhaps the 
best exemplification of the “ frying-pan and the fire ” that can be 
found in nature. 
The descent of a Tern upon its victim is performed with inimi- 
table ease and grace. The bird frequently disappears entirely be- 
neath the surface, and occasionally even swims a short distance 
under water before reappearing. The flight of the Roseate Tern is 
especially dashing and beautiful, with the long cleft tail streaming 
out behind, or inclining, rudder-like, to either side, as the bird 
suddenly changes its course. I have seen the Wilson’s Tern pick- 
ing up floating garbage from the surface in the manner of a Gull, 
but the food is ordinarily small fishes, wdiich are taken alive. 
In clear calm weather in September few Terns will be seen along 
shore. They probably wander farther out to sea at such times, or 
congregate upon the sand-bars to rest and plume themselves. The 
cleanliness of these birds is remarkable. Not only is the plumage 
invariably spotless, but I have on more than one occasion seen a 
