TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 343 



to bear them, and the young ones though nearly full grown, had not 

 yet learned to fly." 



On August 18, 1902, Hubbard and Wallace, on their unsuccess- 

 ful attempt to find Lake Michikamau observed two young geese 

 unable to fly. On September 24th, they saw geese flying south. 



Mr. Goldsby, one of the Moravians at Hopedale, told us that this 

 goose breeds in the inlets near the Mission and lays its eggs about the 

 first week in June, or even during the last of May. At this time the 

 men go on dog sledges to obtain the eggs. In the middle and latter 

 part of July the Moravians catch the young geese and fatten them for 

 Christmas. 



Branta bernicla glaucogastra (Brehm). 



White-bellied Brant. 



Rare transient visitor. 



The Brant breeds far to the north of Labrador and is apparently 

 but rarely seen there during the migrations. Stearns observed it 

 on the southern coast. Turner saw it only in the spring at Fort 

 Chimo. Low says it is very rare in the interior; a sick bird was 

 killed at Lake Mistassini on July 2d. Bigelow says it is reported as 

 very rare. He obtained a specimen from Dr. Grenfell that was shot 

 at Nain in October, 1899. In Hudson Bay also Bell states that it is 

 very rare. 



[Branta leucopsis (Bechst.). Barnacle Goose. — This is recorded by 

 Weiz at Okkak, but the record is open to doubt for Weiz reported many 

 Old World birds there, perhaps because he was more familiar with their names. 

 There is no reason, however, why a straggler should not be taken there, and 

 Cooke ('06, p. 82) accepts the record.] 



Olor columbianus (Ord). 

 Whistling Swan. 



Very rare summer resident in the northwest part. 



Packard says it is "an occasional straggler over the southern por- 

 tions only of Labrador." Weiz records it from Okkak. Robert 

 Bell says: "The Whistling Swan breeds near Churchill and on the 

 islands towards the eastern side of Hudson's Bay. Their skins con- 

 stitute an article of trade, but only a small number of them are col- 

 lected annually." 



