A LABRADOR SPRING 
of foliage, but noticeable by its red and green 
stems, began to thrust out its opposite, pointed 
leaf-buds, canoe birch leaves were half out, 
the fiddle-heads were unfolding, and, like 
magic, groups of tiny orchids had sprung into 
being. This orchid, a calypso, with its broad, 
rounded leaf rose two or three inches from the 
moss, each plant bearing a single flower, — 
a five rayed one, between pink and purple 
in colour, with a brilliant gold spot on the 
delicately veined lip. One is apt to associate 
orchids with tropical or at least warm climates 
only, but this little orchid extends its range 
from Labrador to Alaska. Near where I first 
found this orchid on Esquimaux Island, there 
were numerous arrivals among the birds, for the 
night before had been a favourable one for 
migration, and small birds that feed by day 
must of necessity use the night for migration. 
The association of orchids, spruce forests, 
snowbanks, magnolia warblers and redstarts 
certainly seemed an unusual one, and I satis- 
fied my enjoyment of the incongruous by 
following a redstart until his brilliant red and 
black plumage was set off by a background 
of dark spruces and white snow. 
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