112 A summer's cruise TO NORTHERN LABRADOR. 



view near the bottom ; but as soon as the ice drifted in 

 and choked up any harbor we were in, myriads could be 

 seen near the surface, rising and falling between the ice- 

 cakes, gracefully throwing out their tentacles, which 

 were nearly two feet in length, and suddenly withdraw- 

 ing them when disturbed. No true jelly-fish were to be 

 seen ; the season was early for them, but the beautiful 

 polar shell-less snail, the Clione limacina, with its long 

 wings and bright red tints, was not uncommon. 



Stopped by the ice early the next morning we came 

 to anchor at Belles Amours, waiting for a change of wind 

 to allow a passage past or through the floe-ice. The 

 coast is high, abrupt, and precipitous. Numerous 

 streams well stocked with trout tumble into the sea, and 

 the drift deposits, of limited extent, consisted of coarse 

 gravels and bowlders of syenite. 



We looked for insects, finding nothing of particular 

 interest, though noticing that the ants had just come out 

 of their winter quarters. Glad enough were we to find a 

 snail {Hyalina electrina), and in the mud at the bottom 

 of the ponds a little bivalve shell (JPisidium) ; under 

 stones in the brooks were larval stones-flies and Ephem- 

 erae; while a little salamander {Plethodon glutinosus) 

 of a slate color with a paler light dorsal band ran into 

 the water, to my great disappointment just eluding my 

 grasp, as it is doubtful if any salamander occurs much 

 farther north on the coast than this species. 

 . Here the alders were still in blossom, showing that 

 the season had just opened, though the shadberry, the 

 golden thread {Coptis) and the bunch-berry {Cornus 

 canadensis) were likewise in bloom ; on the other hand 

 the mountain-ash was just unfolding its buds. 



