NOTES ON NEWFOUNDLAND. 279 



seen or heard of one. * The ishiiid of Anticost' is said to 

 ])e similarly deficient in representatives of this class. As 

 has been written of Ireland in an ancient poem, composed 

 by a St. Douatus, and dating as far back as the ninth 

 century : — 



" Nulla veiiotia nocent, nuc serpens serpit in lierba, 

 Nee conquesta canit garrula rana lucu," 



From foregoing remarks, it will be readily seen that 

 the interior of Newfoundland is a vast field of discovery, 

 especially interesting to the enterprising sportsman. In 

 August and September, when the berries are ripe, 

 animal life is wonderfully abundant (for America) on the 

 open barrens. The deer begin their descent from the 

 hills ; willow grouse, now well grown, associate in large 

 coveys ; wild geese and curlew are found feeding on the 

 upland barrens, and snipe are plentiful in the marshes. 

 Bears are reported very numerous in the interior, where 

 their well-beaten paths, traversed for ages, afford good 

 walking to the traveller. When discovered at a distance, 

 revelling amongst thickets of berry-bearing bushes, they 

 may be easily approached under cover of ridges or rock 

 boulders. Furs of many sorts would repay the trapper ; 



* Wliitburne appears to have been aware of tlii« circumstance, foi- he writes : 

 " Neither are there any Snakes, Toads, Seri)i"iis, or any other venomous 

 Wormesthat ever were kuowue to hurt any uian in that countiy, but only a 

 very little nimble l\\ (the least of all other Hies) \vhich is called a Miskieto, 

 those flies seem to have a j,'reat jiower and authority upon all loyterinji; and 

 idle people that come to the Newfoundland : for they have this jiroperty 

 t)iat when they finde any such lyinj; lazily, or slccpinj,' in the woods, they 

 will presently bee more niml)le to seize on them than any Sarj,'ent will be 

 to arrest a man for debt. Neither will they leave stiii},'inj,' or suckin;,' out 

 the blood of such slu<(gards, until like a Beadel they brinj,' him to liis 

 master, where he should hibour, in which time of loytering, those flii's will 

 80 brand such idle persons in their faces, that they may be kuowiic from 

 others as the Turks do their slaves." 



