THE LABRADOR JO URN A L 4 1 5 



being started again, flew again to a great distance with 

 a loud, cackling note, but no whirr of the wings. They 

 were within three hundred yards of an Eagle, which, from 

 its dark color and enormous size and extent of wings, they 

 took to be a female Washington Eagle. ^ I have made 

 many inquiries, but every one tells me Eagles are most 

 rare. It sailed away over the hills slowly and like a Vul- 

 ture. After drawing two figures of the female White- 

 winged Crossbill, I paid a visit to the country seat of Mr. 

 Jones.2 The snow is still to be seen in patches on every 

 hill around us; the borders of the water courses are edged 

 with grasses and weeds as rank of growth as may be seen 

 in the Middle States in like situations. I saw a small 

 brook filled with fine trout; but what pleased me best, I 

 found a nest of the Shore Lark; it was embedded in moss 

 so much the color of the birds, that when these sit on it, 

 it is next to impossible to observe them ; it was buried to 

 its full depth, about seven inches, — composed outwardly 

 of mosses of different sorts; within, fine grass circularly 

 arranged, and mixed with many large, soft Duck feathers. 

 These birds breed on high table-lands, one pair to a cer- 

 tain district. The place where I found the nest was so 

 arid, poor and rocky that nothing grew there. We see the 

 high mountains of Newfoundland, the summits, at present, 

 far above the clouds. Two weeks since, the ice filled the 

 very harbor where we now are, and not a vessel could 

 approach ; since then the ice has sunk, and none is to be 

 seen far or near. 



July 27. It has blown a tremendous gale the whole 

 day; fortunately I had two Fringilla linaria to draw. 

 The adult male alone possesses those rich colors on the 

 breast ; the female has only the front head crimson. They 



1 The Washington Eagle, or " Bird of Washington," of Audubon's works, 

 is based upon the young Bald Eagle, HaliaiUis lettcocephahiis. The bird 

 here noted may have been either this species, or the Aquila chrysaetus. 

 — E. C. 



2 See Episode " A Labrador Squatter." 



