504 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



iiel, the only British locality where this bird is foiiiul, there were in 1887 

 but a dozen pairs left. 



The decrease of Ciaunets at the Bird Rocks is the most perceptible 

 owing- to their size, but the smaller birds have doubtless suffered in the 

 same proportion. Scarce a day passes during tine weather without a 

 visit from fishermen ♦ in search of eggs or Murres, these latter being 

 used for food and making a not unpalatable stew. 



Many barrels of eggs are gathered during the season, and altogether 

 the birds lead rather a precarious existence. Still a large jiortion of 

 the Great Rock is practically inaccessible, aud unless the feather hunt- 

 ers afflict this interesting spot with their j^resence the birds may con- 

 tinue to breed here in diminished numbers for long years to come. 



The extermination of birds is largely a question of sentiment, but 

 these sea-fowl exist in such numbers that they play a not unimportant 

 part in supplying food to the residents of the gulf and coast of Labrador, 

 and hence their extirpation is to be doubly deplored. 



There is a law regulating the taking of eggs, aud if this were observed, 

 or could be strictly enforced, a large number of eggs could Ije gathered 

 annually while at the same time the number of birds would steadily in- 

 crease. But in a region so thinly peoi)led as the coasts of Labrador 

 and the gulf, game laws are difficult to enforce and each party of fisher- 

 men acts on the principle that it is useless to leave what the next visitor 

 will be sure to take. 



Mr. Turbid, however, who has resided on the Great Rock as light- 

 keeper since 1880, states that latterly the birds are on the increase and 

 that in the last eight years the Murres have doubled in numbers, the 

 Gannets increased one-third, and the other birds from one quarter to 

 one-third. Mr. Turbid also told us that the Murres were becoming used 

 to the fog-gun, which at the time of Mr. Brewster's visit was, indirectly, 

 a source of great destruction. 



At each discbarge the frigliteued Mnrres fly from the rock iu clouds, nearly every 

 setting bird taking its egg into the air between its thighs and dropping it after fly- 

 ing a few yards. This was repeatedly observed during our visit, and more than once 

 a perfect shower of eggs fell into the water around our boat. So seriously had the 

 Murres suifered from this cause that many of the ledges on the side of the rock where 

 the gun was fired had been swept aim ost clear of eggs.t 



It was the intention to have visited the Cape la Hune Penguin Islands, 

 but rough weather made this impracticable, and from the Bird Rocks 

 the Grampus went direct to St. John's, Newfoundland. Here we had 

 the pleasure of meeting the Rev. M. Harvey, who most kindly gave us 

 all the aid in his power, and here Capt. Dancan Baxter joined the ves- 

 sel as Newfoundland pilot, although he also rendered most efficient aid 

 as a collector. 



* We found a party on the Little Rock at the time of our visit, and later in the day 

 another boat's crew landed on the westerly beach of the Great Rock. 

 tBrewster, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. xxii, p. 410. 



