142 Townsend, In Audubon’s Labrador. . Fen 
number. Audubon found the birds on the coast in 1833 and Frazar 
in 1884, but aside from these records, very little was known of this 
interesting bird in Labrador. The nests thickly scattered among 
the rocks and vegetation of a small island, were made up of neatly 
arranged dried grass and weed stalks and moss and feathers. 
Some of them contained one, two or three eggs, some contained 
downy young and some were empty. 
Derby Bay, thickly dotted with islands, proved well worth 
exploring. There were but few Eiders and Great Black-backed 
Gulls nesting, but numerous Razor-billed Auks and Black Guille- 
mots. The last named were courting,— swimming about excitedly 
in small groups and dipping their heads nervously. A couple 
would circle about each other, their mouths wide open so as to 
display the bright scarlet lining. Occasionally, the excited birds 
bobbed or bowed towards each other and dabbed with their bills. 
Their tails were cocked up and their red feet showed plainly in the 
water. From time to time they emitted hissing, whistling notes. 
On July 18, we reached Harrington, where is situated the western- 
most of the chain of hospitals established by Dr. W. T. Grenfell. 
It was here we recorded the highest temperature on the trip, 68° - 
in the shade and it was reported in the village to have reached the 
oppressive figure of 72°. The average temperature during the trip 
was between 50° and 60° Far. 
Hare Harbor in Little Mecattina Island was our next port of call. 
In this “bowl,” asin Audubon’s day, Ravens were flying about the 
cliffs which rise sheer from the water. It is a wild and picturesque 
region. From there before “a stiff southwest breeze’? Audubon 
sailed thirty-three miles to Baie de Portage in five hours. We had 
half a gale from the same quarter, and were driven across, under 
nothing but a reefed foresail in three hours. 
From Baie de Portage or Mutton Bay, we followed Audubon’s 
footsteps into Big Mecattina Harbor, where the grandson of his 
French seal catcher still lives and to Sparr Point where I had the 
pleasure of finding Samuel Robertson the 3rd, surrounded by his 
Eskimo dogs and read to him on the 20th day of July, 1915, Audu- 
bon’s account of his visit to his grandfather at the same place on 
July 22, 1833. There had been very little change here in the general 
conditions of life during all these years. 
