Bird-Life in Labrador. 65 



CANADA GOOSE 



Bernicla canadensis. — (L.) RoiE. 



We saw many a flock and siu.2;le individual of this noble 

 game bird while in Labrador, and here I might fairly make a 

 most excellent Irish bull and say that of the many we saw we 

 " didn't get but one and that one we didn't get." Flocks after 

 flocks would go honking by us overhead ; we could see and hear 

 them, but never a shot could we get. On the flats of a little 

 island, close by our Summer home, I was informed that they 

 made regular visiting places, and many were the stories told 

 of their visits there by the successful as well as the non- 

 successful hunters ; still not a specimen. At length, one day 

 in early Spring, we started to go to Bonne Esperance, about 

 eight miles from our stopping place. Our curious experience 

 on this trip may be of interest to some of your readers and I 

 will relate it : There were four of us in the boat and we were 

 just about half way between the islands and at the entrance 

 of a passage completely filled and blocked with floating cakes 

 of ice, and were just wondering how we should accomplish our 

 journey, when one of my companions called out : " There's a 

 wabbv ? " The wabby is a red-necked grebe, and though not 

 uncommon flies so high as to be usually quite out of range 

 even of a rifle. " No, its a loon," said another. The flight of 

 both the grebe and the loon, especially if it be a young one, is 

 quite similar, hence the comparison. As it passed our stern 

 we decided, from its long neck and unmistakable honk, that 

 it was a goose. We all ceased rowing and crouched into the 

 bottom of our boat. One of the party immediately hung his 

 cap upon the end of his gun barrel and, swinging it around 

 vigorously, shouted at the same time most loudly. The goose 

 evidently saw or heard or both the signal and began to vary 

 its course : soon it turned completely and flew directly over 

 the boat. It was still high up in the air, so high that nobody 

 would fire at it. Out of despair I raised my four-shot Roper 



