Hi I'd- Life in Labrador. 97 



sued in a boat by a number of men, who amused themselves 

 by throwing the oars and pieces of wood, together with the 

 ballast of the boat, at it, and yet not a single missile hit its 

 mark since the bird was able to dodge each article thrown at 

 it by diving and appearing in a most unexpected direction ; 

 the bird was scarcely a dozen yards away, yet it escaped un- 

 harmed. I have noticed nearly all the changes of plumage in 

 this bird that I have seen in the pigeon guillemot during the 

 first year, though the head, so far as I have seen, is always 

 black. It is a familiar little fellow, and seldom killed, unless 

 scarcity of food demands even this small morsel. 



BLACK GUILLEMOT PIGEON 



Una grylle. (L.) BRUNN. 



MY notes read : Friday, the loth. I became quite well 

 acquainted to-day with the " pigeon," as it is here called, 

 otherwise known as the black guillemot. This little bird is 

 one of the most abundant of the waterfowl, next to the eider 

 ducks, puffins, and murres, that we have upon the coast. 

 Near St. Augustine \ve saw this bird for the first time, though 

 it is found in Winter all along the Atlantic seaboard as far 

 south as New Jersey, growing more and more rare as it 

 approaches the latter place. I have seen them everywhere in 

 the waters in and about the islands, though never very far from 

 land, from the opening of the bay in the spring until the ice 

 closes the last open waters early in December. I have found 

 several stages of plumage of this bird (referable to the differ- 

 ent ages) which takes three years to mature. A very extraor- 

 dinary form marks the second year's growth. The whole plu- 

 mage is inky black, both above and below, and with white 

 blotches imperfectly rounded, the size of an ordinary thimble 

 head, scattered irregularly all over its body ; the bill is black- 

 ish carmine ; the legs and feet dusky carmine ; the wings with 

 a pure white patch as usual. I think the white tail feathers 

 were present, but am not sure on this point. I cannot learn if 



