ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 5 



Five Months in Newfoundland. 



NOTES FROM 



THE DIARY 

 BIGEI-OW. 



HOME I! I,. 



(Continued.) 



On Monday, June 23cl, I loaded my traps 

 into "Johnnie Mur])liy"s cart," and started 

 liim off toward Custlett, where I expected to 

 lind f'ahi)on. I followed after, in another 

 team with my late landlady, and drove along 

 the cliffs which overlooked the sea. 



The road woniid along the top .some 200 

 feet above, while their bases were beaten by 

 the dashing waves, and it seemed at times as 

 if we were to be hurled over the edge. 



At Big Barachois, where I stopped to wait 

 for my teamster, I fell in with a ciowd of 

 fishermen, all of whom seemed to know the 

 "Bird Island Man," as they term Mr. Cahoon, 

 and tliey put me on his track. Here we crossed 

 the .shallow Great Barachois River, and again 

 took up our tramp up hill and down dale. A 

 mile climb to the top, where I would wait for 

 the team, and down we go into the valley at a 

 flying rale, but oh! those were terrible roads. 



We laid up for the night at Ship Cove, and 

 next morning resumed our journey, but I soon 

 got tired of jogging along with a "slow-poke " 

 horse, if you could call it anything but a pony, 

 — for the owner is larger than the animal. — 

 and started along alone, and at six o'clock 

 arrived at Custlett, utterly played out. 



After some trouble I got accommodaiions at 

 this place, and found Mr. Cahoon well and 

 liearty. My baggage arrived the next day 

 about 11 o'clock, the teamster having stopped 

 over uight at Gooseberry Cove. 



Having looked over the situation I requested 

 permission of Mr. Cahoon to remain with him 

 for a time. He told me that he was under 

 contract with a party not to .supply any speci- 

 mens or notes to anyone else, but on my agree- 

 ment not to interfere with him in any way I 

 was accorded the desired permission. 



On June 26tli we started over the nine miles 

 of marshes which intervene between this 

 point and Cajjc St. Mary, and I found tliat I 

 must change my habits somewhat, for Mr. 

 Cahoon rises at 2 or '■', o'clock and does a day's 

 work before breakfast. 



If you never trieil walking on these marshes 

 you cannot appreciate it; and my pen would 

 break if I tried to describe it. 



We were hospitably received by Mr. Collins, 

 the light-house keeper, and took dinner with 

 them. 



The cliffs here are wonderful, rising some 

 :!00 feet out of the water, but Bird Rock was 

 the principal attraction. A straight pinnacle 

 rising into the air to the height of 2'.i0 feet, its 

 perpendicular sides, rough, rugged and ter- 

 rible, bearing upon its summit a plateau 

 about an acre in extent, which is literally cov- 

 ered with birds, for the Gannets and Murres 

 were so thick that not a foot of rock could be 

 seen, for what was not birds was eggs. The 

 Gannets have a i^lace of their own and the 

 Murres are separate. But, for all of the mul- 

 titude, thousands are continually flying about, 

 passing to and fro, bringing fish to the young. 

 It does not .seem as if there was another vacant 

 spot, and the noise is terrific. 



Murres, Gannets, Auks, and Kittiwnkcs 

 abound in millions, and the cliffs are lined 

 with their nests, eggs or young. 



The Murres when flying hold tlic feet 

 straight out hchind thini. and when they 



nearly rcacli the spot where they "ish to 

 alight they throw their feet forward, bringing 

 the body perpcndicul.nr .nnd the tarsi paiallcl 

 with the rock, and drop on the entire leg. 

 When they wish to start (iff' they advance with 

 their peculiar waddling gait to the edge of the 

 rocks, and seem to tumble off. Tliey fly very 

 fast, and only s))read the tail in turning. They 

 will often, when their nest is on the side of 

 the cliffs, in the little bay which makes in 

 back of the rock, suddenly stop in their flight, 

 just over the chasm, throw forward their feet, 

 spread their tail, taking an almost perpendic- 

 ular position, and keeping themselves balanced 



