96 Bird- Life in Labrador. 



and a lighthouse on the northeast end, these birds occupy the 

 other side unmolested and are seldom interfered with by gun- 

 ners ; yet the island is scarcely three-quarters of a mile long 

 and even less than half a mile wide. The flight of the puffin 

 is swift as an arrow. It has no notes that I could perceive. 

 When in the water it is obliged to rush over the surface some 

 feet, flapping its wings and apparently paddling vigorously be- 

 fore it can gain sufficient impetus to take flight. When sitting 

 sentinel-like on some rock, previous to taking a downward 

 plunge into the air to wing, it reminds one greatly of pictures 

 of auks and penguins, which birds they greatly resemble in 

 many respects. We found the breasts of this bird when made 

 into a soup and boiled thoroughly not bad eating, though 

 much tougher than were the auks we tried. 



SEA DOVE 



Uc niriratix. LINK 



THIS little fellow is very common some years in the waters 

 about the islands and harbors all along the Labrador coast. 

 My notes say : From October 15, until the ice sets in, I found 

 them common everywhere in the waters of the bays and har- 

 bors, and they are generally quite tame. The people on the 

 coast regard their arrival as a sign of cold weather ; but it 

 certainly did not prove to be the case this year, since the birds 

 were unusually abundant and the Winter an unusually mild 

 one. The popular and local name is pronounced as if spelled 

 " bun-num." The birds associate with the black guillemot 

 and possesses with it many habits in common. It dives at the 

 flash of the gun, swims long distances under water, but is gen- 

 erally very tame and quite easy 10 approach, though quick in 

 its movements. I have seen them killed with an oar, after a 

 long chase in a boat. When first taking flight they half fly 

 and half push themselves along the surface of the water, since 

 their small wings and unequally balanced bodies make it ex- 

 tremely difficult for them to fly freely. I have seen one pur- 



