TOO NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



tliey were, witli iis constantly, if we were near land or far out at sea, in 

 storm or calm, fog or snow; no day — scarcely an liour — but some of these 

 interesting bii'ds were our companions ; often a few individuals only, at 

 other times flocks of many hundreds or even perhaps thousands on the 

 islands of the north Labrador coast. In Cumberland they are by far the 

 most common gull, and in fact the most abundant species in fall, but so 

 far as I could learn do not breed there. From September till the ice 

 covered the water they were extraordinarily abundant, congregating in 

 immense flocks. When the tide runs strong they follow the stream for 

 many miles in regular order, about half their number constantly dipping 

 into the water, while the rest fly on ahead a few feet; while thus feeding 

 they remind one of a flock of passenger-iiigeons feeding in a grain-field. 

 The food obtained at such a time is mostly small crustaceans. 



When a good feeding-place is found, the whole flock settles down, and 

 so close together that almost any number can be shot. The jaegers are 

 always on the alert for such flocks, and when they get near the gulls, 

 they all foolishly take wing, when the jaeger singles out a likely looking 

 subject, which is soon made to disgorge. The flock soon settles again, 

 and the same manoeuvre is repeated. 



I did not see a single kittiwake in the upper Cumberland waters 

 during spring or summer, where there were thousands the previous 

 autumn. A very few immature birds were noticed on an iceberg, July 

 18, near Cape Mercy; but these were all I saw till nearing the Greenland 

 coast, where ihej are more common still. The flesh is highly esteemed 

 by the Danes resident on the Greenland coast ; in fact, they form no in- 

 considerable portion of their meat supply during the latter i)art of July 

 and August and September. We found the flesh of the young quite ac- 

 ceptable. 



A few young birds were observed along the east coast of the Penny 

 Peninsula as far as Exeter Sound, and in the pack-ice an occasional 

 specimen was seen; but when nearing the coast of Disko their numbers 

 increased to thousands. They followed the schooner constantly from 

 this i^oint till we got to the southern sliores of Newfoundland, where few 

 were seen. 



Among the specimens collected by me were some that had scarcely 

 any hallux, while in others it was as well developed as in any gull, and 

 having a perfect nail. There is also every gradation between the two. 



1 saw a gull a little larger than tridactyla, in Godhavn Harbor, one 

 day; it had a black head. The same afternoon Governor Fencker sa^v 



