THE MUSEUM. 



elliptical and often, apparently, exact- 

 ly so. 



Many writers have said that this 

 species, when disturbed in nesting, 

 will remove to another quarter by 

 transporting the eggs to a new site. 

 It is claimed that the bird carries the 

 eggs in her mouth and some writers 

 even assert that the }oung are re- 

 moved by this means. The Chuck- 

 will's-widow and Nighthawk are also 

 credited with this strange, but conven- 

 ient habit. I have }'et to learn any- 

 thing of this nature from my ov\-n ob- 

 servation, and must say that we should 

 not accept the theory until positively 

 shown that such is the case. There is 

 no doubt that the members of this 

 family are fully capable of carrying an 

 egg in their cavernous mouth, but does 

 it follow that we are to believe a tale 

 of this nature because of the capacity 

 of the birds to accomplish the act. 



Long before Columbus discovered 

 America; yes, we may say, before the 

 commencement of the Christian Era, 

 representatives of this family were 

 called goat-suckers, because of the ig- 

 norant belief that these birds were in 

 the habit of sucking goats. It would 

 be impossible to approximate the num- 

 ber of centuries in which this fabulous 

 story has been credited, and to this 

 day persons are found who thoroughl}' 

 believe it, as well as other equall\' un- 

 reliable yarns. Most of my readers 

 have met men who claimed to have 

 seen porcupines throw their quills. 

 And the strangest part is that the story 

 is sincerely believed by the recounters 

 who, probabl}', from telling it so fre- 

 quently, have come to believe in its 

 txuth. As Shakespeare says: 



"Like one, 

 Who having, unto truth, by telling of it, 

 Made such a sinner of his memory, 

 To credit his own lie." 



Has anyone ever seen a Nighthawk. 

 Whip-poor-will or any other represen- 

 tative of this family seize an egg or 

 young one. in its mouth and fly away 

 with it.^ There is chance for investiga- 

 tion here, and if someone will describe 

 the modus operandi of so-called goat- 

 suckers transporting their eggs or 

 young, and send in the account they 

 will be filling a long felt want, and will 

 settle a disputed point. 



This criticism is not made to stimu- 

 late discussion, or in the nature of af- 

 frontary, but rather as a mild hint to 

 collectors, and particularly observers 

 who are desirous of publishing their 

 notes, to 



•'Be sure you are right, then go ahead." 



After moulting the Whip-poor-will 

 again tunes up his peculiar, loud, 

 sounding jargon, and may be heard 

 pleasant evenings even as late as Sep- 

 tember 20th. This species arrives, on 

 the average a fortnight earlier than the 

 Nighthawk and remains with us quite 

 three weeks later. 



Labrador Notes. 



W. A. STEARNS. 



Very few persons are acquainted in- 

 timately with the region known on your 

 maps as Labrador. Until recently, or 

 within recent years, only, has our 

 knowledge of this vast peninsula, jut- 

 ting out into the Atlantic ocean in the 

 North and extreme East of our conti- 

 nent, broadened into something defi- 

 nite. 



Labrador, — La Bras d'Or of the 

 French, or "The Arm of Gold. " This 

 is one of its derivations. There is a 



