50 Bird- Life, in Lahrador. 



ROCK PTARMIGAN 



TjujopuK nipcxfi'is. — Leach. 



This species was known everywhere I went as the '' moun- 

 tain " partridge. They told nie that it was only found high 

 up among the hills and that it did not descend into the open 

 land along the shores of the lakes and rivers, or associate with 

 the " willow " partridge. One or tw^o specimens only were se- 

 cured hy our party. They arc mucii rarer than <d1)ni< but found 

 along the same extent of coast. 



BLACK BELLIED PLOVER Quebec Curlew 



>(li(<if(ir')/(i helniint. — (L.) Cl'V. 



I TJ1IX1-: that the name of (^ucl)ec Curlew must he a local 

 Canadian name foi- this bird, for I never heard it except on 

 my journey from C^uebec to Labi-ador. The bird was found 

 iti small Hocks, wherever we went, from (^uel)ec to Blanc 

 Sablon, and it occurs even iartluT north and cast. It was 

 generally rather wild and, wading deep into th<' water, fed on 

 the small sea animals that it couhl ca))tnre there Its flight 

 was htwand short. \\'lieii approclicd while feeding thev would 

 sj)read out i.>ver eoiisi(lei-:il)lc ground. I'nniiiitL: at the same time 

 as liir into the water as their long legs would let tlieiii. bei'oi'e 

 taking Hight. If on one side of a creek they rarely flew i'artlicr 

 than across to some j)oint of security opj)osite, while they 

 wotdd go to feeding again at once. If on an ()j)j)osite side of 

 sonu> creek it was generally very easy to call them across by 

 the usual imitation oftheii' cry off/;/ or (ju-(ji(-(ii( i-epeated 

 several successive times. It was usually much casiei- to call 

 them within shooting distance than it was to ap])roaeh them 

 within such. I fonnd that, with these, as with tlu' majority 

 of the shore birds, the lower that otu' could bend the body 

 while crawling njxm Hocks or single biids the more successful 

 would be the attempt to get a shot at them. A man standing 



