THE BIRD ROCKS. 563 



forms a sea of no mean capacity and at the south- 

 west entrance to which the Magdalen Islands are 

 situated. 



These islands are noted as including in their archi- 

 pelago two celebrated rocks known to navigators as 

 the "Bird Rocks," which consist of splendid and almost 

 perpendicular cliffs of red sandstone, forming the home 

 of countless legions of sea birds, whose extraordinary 

 numbers have caused these islands to be thus named. 

 From the earliest periods of Canadian history the " Bird 

 Rocks" have attracted the attention of all observers. 

 Throughout the British Colonial records from the time 

 of the conquest downwards they have constantly lived 

 in story, and to all appearance are likely to do so 

 for generations yet to come. So peculiar an object of 

 interest had they become, that 1 20 years ago, we read, 

 it was quite a usual practice for ships arriving from 

 Europe to salute the august presence of the New World 

 (whose threshold is here guarded by these fastnesses of 

 Nature) with a gun, as the ship neared these historic 

 rocks. * Immediately, we are told, the air was filled 

 with innumerable hosts of birds, whose legions literally 

 darkened the sky, and whose discordant cries swelled 

 into so vast a volume of sound as almost to deafen 

 the spectator. 



Contrary to the usual course of history, the descend- 

 ants of these feathered tribes still maintain their posi- 

 tion in apparently almost undiminished numbers. Time 

 has dealt lightly with them, Nature having protected 

 their stronghold from intrusion, by means of inacces- 



* See Anbury's Travels in America, 1791, Vol. i., chap. i. (The author 

 was an officer in the British service, during the war against the 

 revolted colonies). 



