Bird-Life in Labrador. 35 



came and lit upon the rigging of our vessel. The blackbird 

 was very tame, and as we oiFered it no violence it remained 

 8ome time with us. I afterward found that this bird had a 

 Summer breeding range all along the coast here, at least as 

 ar as L'Anse au Loupe, at which place it wa<s a resident. 

 Mr. Fred Davis informed me that the bird occasionally built 

 its nest in his woodpile — the people there are obliged to cut 

 enough wood at one time to last the year around; thus there 

 is always more or less of a pile about in the Summer season — 

 and the boys call it quite common tiiere. This, I believe, is 

 the only species of blackbird that regularly remains so far North 

 to breed. The rusty blackbird, as you remember, is generally 

 regarded as an unsocial and retiring bird ; here it is the re- 

 verse, and its nest is not unlike that of a small robin with 

 many sticks outside, and its eggs about three or four, bluish- 

 white with spots and dashes of light brown. It feeds upon 

 the seeds of various plants and a few insects. Strange to say, 

 they are, at various places along the coast, frequently kept as 

 cage birds; and their cunning, and power of mimicry of song, 

 is something quite remarkable. 



RAVEN 



Corvus corax. — L. 



The raven is a common resident, both up and down the 

 coast all the year around, and breeds. I met it first Septem- 

 ber 24th, off St. Augustine ; September 27th, at Old Fort Is- 

 land, I saw several of them and noticed their slow and heavy 

 flight. Their cry is a hoarse croaking note. I have seen them 

 flying high up in the air, nearly out of sight, and low and 

 quite tame. Their instinct regarding a gun is only a trifle dul- 

 ler than is that of our common crow, which in many respects 

 they closely resemble. They appear to be everywhere com- 

 mon and seem to replace the crow here as farther South the 

 crow replaces them. They are very hard to hit, very acute, 

 never about when you are looking for them, and abundant 



