THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 



357 



land, he assured us, was poor in every respect, — soil, 

 woods, game ; that the Seal fisheries had been less pro- 

 ductive these last years than formerly. On these islands, 

 about a dozen in number, live one hundred and sixty 

 families, all of whom make their livelihood by the Cod, 

 Herring, and Mackerel fisheries. One or two vessels from 

 Quebec come yearly to collect this produce of the ocean. 

 Not a bird to be found larger than a Robin, but certainly 

 thousands of those. P^re Brunet said he lived the life of a 

 recluse, and invited us to accompany him to the house 

 where he boarded, and take a glass of good French wine. 

 During our ramble on the island we found the temperature 

 quite agreeable ; indeed, in some situations the sun was 

 pleasant and warm. Strawberry blossoms were under our 

 feet at every step, and here and there the grass looked well. 

 I was surprised to find the woods (by woods I mean land 

 covered with any sort of trees, from the noblest magnolia 

 down to dwarf cedars) rich in Warblers, Thrushes, Finches, 

 Buntings, etc. The Fox-tailed Sparrow breeds here, the 

 Siskin also. The Hermit and Tawny Thrushes crossed 

 our path every few yards, the Black-capped Warbler flashed 

 over the pools, the Winter Wren abounded everywhere. 

 Among the water-birds we found the Great Tern (^Sterna 

 hirundo) very abundant, and shot four of them on the sand- 

 ridges. The Piping Plover breeds here — shot two males 

 and one female; so plaintive is the note of this interesting 

 species that I feel great aversion to killing them. These 

 birds certainly are the swiftest of foot of any water-birds 

 which I know, of their size. We found many land-snails, 

 and collected some fine specimens of gypsum. This after- 

 noon, being informed that across the bay where we are 

 anchored we might, perhaps, purchase some Black Fox 

 skins, we went there, and found Messieurs Muncey keen 

 fellows; they asked £t) for Black Fox and $1.50 for Red. 

 No purchase on our part. Being told that Geese, Brents, 

 Mergansers, etc., breed eighteen miles from here, at the 



