NATURE IN ACADIE. 3 



labouring against terrible seas which washed the deck 

 from end to end and tossed the great vessel about like 

 a cork in their fury. However, after some days the 

 weather, although still boisterous, quieted down suffi- 

 ciently to allow me to remain on deck, and I was thus 

 enabled to continue my observations. 



The only birds which I observed in the mid- Atlantic 

 were the fulmars, a considerable number of which were 

 following the vessel, having been increasing in numbers 

 daily since we left the Irish coast. They followed per- 

 sistently in the wake of the vessel, wheeling and gliding 

 with placid flight hour after hour, and every now and 

 then dropping down upon the refuse which was floating 

 in our track. They frequently settled on the water, 

 floating buoyantly upon the waves, and now and then 

 paddling vigorously towards some floating bit of offal, 

 and on seizing it being pursued through the water by 

 several other individuals who endeavoured to tear the 

 prize from the fortunate possessor. They very often 

 flew close alongside, but I never heard them utter any 

 kind of note ; most of them had the head, neck and 

 under parts pure white, but in one or two they were of 

 a greyish tint, there being light and dark phases of this 

 species. 



The day before reaching Newfoundland was much 

 finer ; the vessel moved steadily through the water, 

 making good headway, and the sun shone quite warmly. 

 We were passing over the famous Newfoundland Banks, 

 and the quantity of bird life was surprising, affording 

 undeniable signs of the proximity of land and also of 

 the abundance of congenial food. 



Large' numbers of kittiwakes were accompanying us ; 

 there appeared to be quite 200 of these pretty little 

 gulls — the majority being in immature dress — and they 

 first made their appearance three or four days before, 

 when I noticed four or five of them among the numbers 

 of fulmars which then accompanied us ; since then the 

 present species had increased in numbers, while the 

 fulmars had decreased, and I observed but one or two of 

 the latter on this day. The flight of these little gulls is 



