40 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 3 



and the Nuthatches, etc. {Parklm), are mostly 

 veiy good, but as before remarked, tlie great 

 streiigtli of the collection is in the Water Birds, 

 the Shore Birds, the Grouse, Quails, etc., and 

 tlie Finches and Sparrows. 



It contains many small and imperfect sets, 

 and many of tlie eggs liave been cracked and 

 damaged before they came under Capt. Ben- 

 dire' s care. J. 1'. N. 



Five Months in Newfoundland. 



NOTES FliOM THE DIARY OF HOME!! I.. 

 BIfiEI.OW. 



[Pkkface. — A few months ago we pul)lislied 

 extracts from letters written by Mr. Bigelow, 

 and promised more from him at a later date. 

 Owing to the nature of the country where 

 he was, it was impossible to send out letters, 

 and so all notes were I'etained until his re- 

 turn. In accordance with his promise to 

 allow our readers the benefit of his experi- 

 ence, he has placed his diary in my hands, 

 and X liave the pleasure of placing it before 

 our readers, as little modified as circumstances 

 will admit. From the necessarily disconnectc<l 

 state of the notes, rendering their transcription 

 somewhat difhcult, I have deemed it advi.sable 

 to use my own phraseology, though employing 

 the personal pronoun. — Fhank A. Bates.] 



Left Boston on .lune 7tli, at 12 M., on 

 Steamer Halifax, and steamecl slowly down 

 the harbor by the islands, wliicli I have passed 

 so often, but never under sucli circumstances, 

 for I knew not how long it would be before 

 I saw them again. One familiar spot after 

 another was passed, until at last the open 

 sea was reached. 



Home behind, and a vast blank before, and 

 the scene was a true jiicture of my situation; 

 the land rapidly receding from view, and 

 only a vast expanse of sea in front. The sky 

 was decked with light clouds, and a light toy 

 had settled upon the water. 



The few land birds were rapidly left behind. 

 One little Sandpiper skittered over the waves, 

 and was succeeded by a Shearwater, who 

 would lazily Hap along for a little way and 

 then sail over the surface with outstretched 

 wings. 



The birds of the sea, the Petrels, were soi>n 

 sighted, and a heavy sea having struck in 

 we were reminded that land was left behind. 

 The swell soon drove the passengers to their 



staterooms, and at 8 p.m., when I retired, the 

 decks were deserted. 



We ran into a storm during the night, and 

 when Ave sighted the first land, at Sable 

 Island Light, at 8.30 a.m., there was a heavy 

 sea ruiniing. 



We skirted the shores of Nova Scotia all 

 day, the only signs of life being a few ham- 

 lets and stray houses on shore, and a solitary 

 Black-hacked Gull on the water. 



After a wearisome day, coasting along tlie 

 rocky coast, with naught but the jar of the 

 engines and the distant view to distract the 

 attention, we passed Samhro Light, the en- 

 trance to Halifax Harbor, at ().30 i-.m. The 

 harbor of Halifax is one of the most beautiful, 

 imposing and interesting sjiots in the country. 



The entrance to the harbor is open to the 

 sea, wide and straight, but woe betide the 

 vessel entering with a hostile flag flying 

 at her peak, for the beautiful hills, which 

 rise from the western shore are dotted not 

 only with hamlets, but also with batteries, 

 the gauntlet of which must be run for twenty 

 miles, before the city can be reached. 



Halifax is situated on a point of land ex- 

 tending down the harbor, the extreme tip 

 being reserved as a park, left \n its 

 wild, pristine beauty, with the exception of 

 a few drives and walks laid out among the 

 trees, which serve as a mask to cover the 

 batteries which crown the summit. 



Back of this is Citadel Hill, surmounted by 

 an almost impregnable foi-t, around whicdi 

 the city is clustered. 



Halifax is a quaint old place, and were it 

 not for the contents of the windows and tlie 

 dress of the people, one could almost imagine 

 himself drojiped back fifty years. But the 

 people are the acme of lios])ilality and kind- 

 ness, probably through not having been cor- 

 rupted by the whirl of business life, for im 

 one in Halifax is in a hurry. 



Witii the kind assistance of Mr. Harry 

 Austen, well known to the le.aders of the 

 (). ife O., and to whom I had letters of 

 introduction, I easily got my baggage Ihrongh 

 the Custom House, and soon had it 

 transferred to the Cuuard Wharf. Here 1 

 found the Steamer Buenos Ayrian, which was 

 to take me from my last foothold on native 

 soil. She was an immense vessel, witli licr 

 decks all boarded up and filled witli cattle, 

 and the accommodations were very poor. 



At 12.30 the ropes were cast off, a salute 

 of three guns was tired, and we were soon 

 again tossing on the open sea, for a strong 



