GEBAT SUPPLY OF EGGS. 259 



looking and poor. The country a barren rock as far as the eye 

 could reach, and mosses of several species were a. foot in depth. 

 So sonorous is the song of the fox-coloured sparrow, that I 

 heard it to-day while drawing in the cabin, from the distance of 

 a quarter of a mile. The mosquitoes and black gnats are bad 

 on shore. 



" jMwe 23. We heard to-day that a party of four men from 

 Halifax, last spring, took in two months four hundred thousand 

 eggs, which they sold in Halifax at twenty-five cents a dozen. 

 Last year upwards of twenty sail of vessels were engaged in 

 this business ; and by this one may form some idea of the 

 number of birds annually destroyed in this way, to say nothing 

 of the millions of others disposed of by the numerous fleet of 

 fishermen which yearly come to these regions, and lend their 

 hand to swell, the devastation. The eggers destroy all the eggs 

 that are sat upon, to force the birds to lay fresh eggs, and by 

 robbing them regularly compel them to lay until nature is ex- 

 hausted', and so but few young ones are raised. These wonderful 

 nurseries must be finally destroyed, and in less than half a 

 century, unless some kind government interpose to put a stop to 

 all this shameful destruction. The wind blows here from the 

 south-east, and it brings rain contiiraally." 



The following episode epitomizes what Audubon saw or 

 learned about the men engaged in hunting eggs on those wild 

 and desolate islands. 



s 2 



