264 FOREST LIFE IN ACADIE. 



islands of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton to breed. No 

 driven away by persecution, the bulk of them go mucli 

 further to the north-east. 



Every fisherman along shore has a fowling-piece, and 

 shoots '' sea-ducks," as he indiscrimiuately calls a variety 

 of species — eiders, pintails, mergansers, loons, and coots — 

 and when we consider the wholesale destruction caused 

 by the eggers at their breeding-grounds in the Gulf, it is 

 surprising that the birds have not more quickly followed 

 the great auk in progress towards extinction. As has 

 been stated before, there is no record of the latter bird 

 affecting these shores within the memory of those living, 

 though the Penguin Islands (the bird had much re- 

 semblance to the true penguin of the Southern Ocean) 

 certainly derived their name from its former abundance. 



The Canadian Government have lately terminated the 

 wholesale destruction of sea-birds' eggs in the Gulf by 

 stringent enactments, and the egging trade is virtually 

 abolished. The wanton destruction which accompanied 

 the arrival of an egging vessel at the breeding-grounds 

 was most disgraceful. Armed with sticks, the crew first 

 broke every egg on the island (tens of thousands.) A 

 partial re-commencement of laying ensued, and the 

 harvest was immediately gleaned with the assurance 

 that the cargo on reaching port would consist of none 

 but fresh eggs. The bulk of the spoil consisted of the 

 eggs of the guillemots, and were sold at about three 

 cents apiece. I have frequently eaten them and found 

 them exceedingly palatable ; the white somewhat re- 

 sembles that of a plovers ^gg in appearance and 

 flavour. 



The local names of the sea-birds are singular. The 



