COMMON TERN. 559 
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. 
‘¢Tt is an interesting sight to watch the birds collect. A moment before, perhaps only 
afew were to be seen, leisurely winnowing their way along the shore; butin an incredi- 
bly short space of time the lucky discoverer oi 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 excitement 
waxes fast and furious. Beneath, the blue-fish are making the water boil by their 
Savage rusoes, and there is fun and profit for all save the unfortunate prey. Their posi- 
tion is perhaps the best exemplification of the ‘frying-pan and the fire’ that can be 
found in nature. 
‘The descent of a Tern apon iis victim is performed with inimitable ease and grace. 
The bird frequently disappears entirely beneath 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 in- 
clining, rudder-like to either side, as the bird suddenly changes its course. I have seen 
the Wilson’s Tern picking up floating garbage from the surface in the manner of a 
Gull, busi the food is ordinarily small fishes, which 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 pluiiage invariably spotless, but I have on more than cone occasion seen a wounded 
one, which had been taken into the boat, begin to arrange its disordered feathers, and 
its feeble efforts to remove the blood-stains from its fresh wounds were truly touching. 
‘When the wind blows hard the Terns spenc much of their time on the wing, and 
then display great restlessness and activity. They seem to exult with the freshening breeze, 
like ships that have been becalmed. At such times I have seen them play for many 
minutes with a fish which one of their number had captured. The holder would drop it, 
evidently by design, and the whole troop go sweeping down in pursuit. The foremost 
was sure to seize it before it reach the water, when it was taken upinto the air and 
again dropped. In this manner the prize would be in turn passed from one te another. 
The game was apparently well understood by ali, ag no attempt was made by any of 
them to devour the fish. Swallows will frequently’ play with a feather in a similar 
manner. 
‘¢ The ease with which sea-birds find their way through the densest fog is as astonish- 
ing as it is inexplicable. I have seen the Terns passing between the fishing-grounds and 
Muskegat when it was impossible for human eyes to discern an object many yards 
away, and yet their course was as direct and decided as in the clearest weather. Indeed, 
at such times the fishermen are often guided by their flight. 
‘‘ The Least Terns usually leave for the sonth in the latter part of August, and the 
Short-tailed species commonly departs before the close of the succeeding month. But 
the Wilson’s, the Roseate, and the Arctic Terns linger about Nantucket through the first 
half of October. After that their numbers thin rapidly, and by the 25th all are gone. 
The fishermen say that they follow the blue-fish in their southward migration. How- 
ever that may be, when the chilling blasts of early November sweep avross the sea, 
the Herring and Black-backed Guils have taken their places upon the sand-bars 
about Nantucket; the Bider Duck, the Scoter, the Whistler, and the Sheldrake flock to 
