A LABRADOR SPRING 



brief that northern regions are said to have no 

 spring. The whole glorious ecstasy of burst- 

 ing buds and migrating birds is concentrated 

 into the space of a few weeks or even days. 

 As the bake-apple springs into flower when 

 the snowbank melts, so does spring burst 

 upon the scene in these regions when winter 

 departs. 



It was with great eagerness therefore that 

 I explored the country on my arrival at Es- 

 quimaux Point in southern Labrador on May 

 24th for signs of spring, fearing that I might 

 be too late, and that the summer had already 

 come. Fortunately it was a tardy season 

 and all was still wintery. Cartwright in his 

 Labrador journal of May 21, 1771, one hundred 

 and thirty-eight years and three days before, 

 made this record: "The first green leaf ap- 

 peared to-day, which was a currant." I found 

 some wild currant * bushes but they were only 

 in bud and the leaves did not appear until a 

 few days later. The alders still kept their 

 buds closed, but they had already begun to 

 hang out their " golden curls," and the yellow 



1 The scientific names of the birds and plants will be 

 found in the Index after the common names. 



13 



