54 AMBROSE ON BIRDS FREQUENTING ST. MARGARETS BAY. 



that I have observed remaining behind the main body in their 

 autumnal migrations. But, as I before observed, almost our 

 whole list of sea-birds are given to straggling habits in autumn. 

 And in spring, whilst the main body go far north-east to breed, 

 a few grey gulls, murrs and puffins, breed on our shores. Tra- 

 dition would show, however, that the majority are reformers, 

 whilst the minority are such as hate vulgar innovations, are con- 

 tent to " let well-enough alone," and stick to old systems, regard- 

 less of danger. Old settlers affiirm that these shores formerly 

 abounded with sea-birds, and that our outlying islands were the 

 breeding places, not only of almost all the existing species, but 

 also of one which, by the description given me by the late Michael 

 Publicover, of Blandford, I take to have been the great auk (Alca 

 impennis). But as men and guns began to multiply, the birds 

 found it necessary to resort to less frequented places to the north- 

 east. So it has been also with the fish of these waters. Danger 

 has altered then- habits, and it is only those which "learn nothing 

 and forget nothing," that among our birds and fishes retain unal- 

 tered the institutions of more ancient times and safer circumstances. 



The names given to our sea-birds by the fishermen are mostly 

 descriptive, as indeed all names of distinction should be. The 

 puffin is called the parrot, because of the similarity of its bill to 

 that of the latter bird. The cock-a-wee is so named from its 

 gabbling note, which sounds like this name. In some parts of the 

 Province it is called the old squaw, from the ludicrous similarity 

 between the gabbling of a flock of these birds and an animated 

 discussion of a piece of scandal in the Micmac language, between 

 a number of antiquated ladies of that interesting tribe. The har- 

 lequin duck is called a lord, on account of the gay plumage of the 

 drake. It is also known as the imp, because of the difficulty of shoot- 

 ing it. The little auk is called the bull bird, from the shape of 

 its head and neck. It frequents our coves in the dead of winter 

 and towards spring, and rarely flies, but endeavours to escape pur- 

 suit by diving. It is the favourite game of boys, more eager for the 

 pleasure of a shot than solicitous as to the cost of ammunition. 



The boatswain is always found in company with his betters, the 

 larger kind of gulls, who by no means relish his society, but vote 

 him an intolerable bore. His habit is to pursue the gulls through 



