of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 257 



cannot be trusted to, and in addition rendered slippery by ibe 

 constant trickling from above and the excrements of the birds 

 that cover it in every direction. 



Since Audubon's time the fishery, which was carried on extensive- 

 ly in the neighborhood of Bryon Island, has failed, or at least is less 

 productive than on the North shore, and I am inclined to think 

 that at present the birds are but little disturbed, and that conse- 

 quently their number, particularly of the Guillemots, has much in- 

 creased. There was no appearance of any recent visit on the top 

 of the rock, and though after making the ascent it was obvious 

 that others had preceded us, still the traces were so faint that it 

 was several hours before we succeeded in finding the landing-place. 

 The birds breeding there, at the time of our visit, were Gannets, 

 Puffins, three species of Guillemots, Razor-billed Auks, and Kitti- 

 wakes. These birds are all mentioned by Audubon, with the ex- 

 ception of Briinnich's Guillemot, and the Bridled Guillemot con- 

 founded by him with the common species. No other breeding- 

 place on our shore is so remarkable at once for the number and 

 variety of the species occupying it. 



Of the seven species mentioned, I am not aware that three, 

 namely, the Kittiwake and the Bridled and Briinnich's Guillemot, 

 are known to breed at any other place south of the Straits of Belle 

 Isle ; of the remaining four, two, the FooHsh Guillemot and Razor- 

 billed Auk, are found at many other places and in large numbers; 

 the Puffin in much greater abundance on the North shore, particu- 

 larly at the Perroquet Islands, near Mingan and Bras D'Or; the 

 Gannet at only two other points in the Gulf, at Percd Rock near 

 Gaspe, which is perhaps even more remarkable than Gannet Rock, 

 but is at present inaccessible ; and at Gannet Rock near Mingan, 

 which will soon be deserted by those birds in consequence of the 

 depredations of the fishermen. 



The following list of birds is not intended to comprise all those 

 observed by me, — all the land birds are omitted, as well as those 

 water birds to our present knowledge of which I could add noth- 

 ing. Before leaving home I had flattered myself that I should 

 have an opportunity of seeing some of the rarer Rapacious birds, 

 or the Iceland or Greenland Falcon, Duck Hawk, &c. Strange 

 as it may seem, during the whole of my visit to the North Shore, 

 I saw only a single bird of this class — a fine Golden Eagle at 

 Bras D'Or. I mention this, not as proof that those birds are un- 

 known, for I frequently found on the shores unmistakable evidence 



Can. Nat. 2 Vol. VI. No. 4. 



