Notes from Labrador 15 



for their protection. Certain islands should be set apart as breeding sanc- 

 tuaries and zealously guarded. The birds are shot at all seasons, for they make 

 excellent food, and their nests are robbed unmercifully all through the sum- 

 mer. It is not too late to save them, as they are still fairly common at various 

 points along the coast, breeding on the rocky and grassy islands, in the bays, 

 and on some of the outer islands. We found a few small beeeding colonies of 

 both species from St. Peter's Bay south of Battle Harbor north to Port Manvers, 

 and one large colony of Northern Eiders near Hopedale. We visited this 

 latter colony on July 22 and found about thirty nests with eggs. I collected 

 three sets of eggs which were nearly fresh or less than half -incubated; the 

 colony had been cleaned out about two weeks before that, when over 150 eggs 

 were taken. No attempt seems to have been made to educate the natives to 

 collect the down, which might be made a profitable industry under proper 

 management. 



16. Scoter (Oidemia americana). 



17. White-winged Scoter {Oidemia deglandi). 



18. Surf Scoter {Oidemia perspicillata). All three species of Scoter were 

 common or abundant in the bays along the coast, in large flocks made up 

 largely of males. The females were probably incubating or tending broods 

 of young on the inland ponds or rivers. The Surf Scoter was the most abun- 

 dant, and the White-winged Scoter the least common of the three. During the 

 latter part of the summer, while molting their wing feathers, many of them 

 were incapable of or disinclined to flight and could be easily killed, though 

 they were quite expert at diving. They are shot regularly for food, and should 

 be protected during the summer. 



19. Canada Goose {Branta canadensis). These Geese breed commonly 

 on the inland ponds, as well as on the islands. Late in July and in August the 

 young Geese are caught by the natives and fattened in captivity. This prac- 

 tice could be stopped by making suitable laws, which could easily be enforced. 



The Moravian missionaries are wise and intelligent guardians of the wel- 

 fare of the Eskimos, and what few white residents are now living on the coast, 

 and they have them almost completely under their control. I believe they 

 would be interested and successful in enforcing any laws which might be 

 enacted to conserve for future generations the water birds of the Labrador 

 coast, as valuable assets for its people. 



I sincerely hope that something can be done to arouse the Newfoundland 

 government to enact suitable legislation for this purpose, before it is too late. 



