Vol.XXVII 



1910^^^] TowNSEND AND Bent, Bircls of Labrador. 



Annotated List. 



1. Colymbus holbcelli. Holbcell's Grebe. — We saw a specimen of 

 this bird in the collection of M. Johan Beetz taken at Piashte-bai. From 

 all that we could learn Grebes are rare on this coast. 



2. Gavia immer. Loon; "Huard" (Fr.); "Ournorg" (Ind.). — We 

 saw this bird commonly along the coast; most of the birds were probably 

 migrants although we frequently saw single birds flying back and forth 

 from the interior where they may have been breeding. We did not, 

 however, find any of their nests in any of the numerous ponds and pools 

 we visited near the coast. On May 23, we counted about forty of these 

 birds from the steamer between the mouths of the Moisie and Shelldrake 

 rivers, and we observed about the same number fly east across the mouth 

 of the Natashquan in the course of an hour on May 3L On June 3 we saw 

 a flock of 12, followed by 8 stragglers, fly east through the sound at Es- 

 quimaux Point. The majority of the birds seen near at hand were in 

 full adult plumage. 



3. Gavia stellata. Red-throated Loon. — We found this loon much 

 less common than the preceding species, although we saw a few at various 

 points along the coast. As in the case of the Loon, we found no evidence 

 of breeding, and we were told by the Indians and others that they breed 

 far inland. 



4. Fratercula arctica. Puffin; "Peroqueet." — The only colony 

 that we visited of these interesting birds was at Bald Island near Betchewun 

 where we found about 150 pairs breeding in holes in the mellow soil of the 

 island and under the limestone rocks. Most of the burrows investigated 

 contained each a female and a fresh egg on the dates of our visits, June 8 

 and 9, but it seemed probable that many of the birds had not begun to 

 breed. Certainly they were spending much time in courtship on the water. 



As far as we could learn the only other colony left on tliis entire strip of 

 Labrador coast to the westward of Natashquan is a very small one of a 

 few pairs at the Peroqueet Islands off Mingan; or, more strictly speaking, 

 Long Point. We passed close to these islands both coming and going, 

 but saw no Puffins near them. 



5. Cepphus grylle. Black Guillemot; "Sea Pigeon"; "Pigeon." — 

 This bird was not common along tliis coast. We saw about 36 between 

 Moisie and Esquimaux Point on our journey east, but as we saw only 

 one or two on our return, we concluded that the former were merely 

 migrants. Between Esquimaux Point and Betchewun there were eight 

 or ten birds and between the latter point and Natashquan we saw only 

 about fifteen. The comparative scarcity of good breeding places would 

 account for this rarity. The only place we found evidence of their breeding 

 was at the limestone cliffs on the east end of Esquimaux Island, where 

 we saw two or three birds fly out from about 30 feet up. In the latter part 

 of May we saw two birds in the white winter plumage, many in partial 



