THE LABRADOR JOURNAL 427 



now in shoals of millions. How many must the multi- 

 tude of Mormons inhabiting this island destroy daily? 

 Whilst flying they all issue a rough croak, but none 

 dropped the fish, nor indeed did they let it go when 

 brought to the earth. The Larus marinus have now 

 almost all gone south with their young; indeed, very few 

 Gulls of any sort are now to be seen. Whilst on the 

 island we saw a Hawk pounce on a Puffin and carry it off. 

 Curlews have increased in numbers, but during two fair 

 days we had they could not be approached ; indeed, they 

 appear to be so intent on their passage south that when- 

 ever the weather permits they are seen to strike high in 

 the air across the harbor. The gale is so severe that our 

 anchors have dragged forty or fifty yards, but by letting 

 out still more chain we are now safe. It blows and rains 

 so hard that it is impossible to stand in the bow of our 

 vessel. But this is not all, — who, now, will deny the 

 existence of the Labrador Falcon } ^ Yes, my Lucy, one 

 more new species is on the list of the " Birds of Amer- 

 ica," and may we have the comfort of seeing its beautiful 

 figure multiplied by Havell's engraver. This bird (both 

 male and female) was shot by John whilst on an excur- 

 sion with all our party, and on the 6th inst., when I sat 

 till after twelve o'clock that night to outline one of them 

 to save daylight the next day to color it, as I have done 

 hundreds of times before, John shot them on the wing, 

 whilst they were in company with their two young ones. 

 The birds, one would be tempted to believe, had never 

 seen a man before, for these affectionate parents dashed 

 towards the gunners with fierce velocity, and almost in- 

 stantly died from the effects of two well-directed shots. 

 All efforts to procure the young birds were ineffectual; 



1 This is the bird figured by Audubon as Falco labradora on folio pi. 196, 

 8vo pi. ig, but which he afterward considered to be the same as his F. islandi- 

 cus. It is now held, however, to represent a dark variety of Gyrfalcon, 

 known as F. gyrfalco obsolehis, confined to Labrador and thence south- 

 ward in winter to New England and New York. — E. C. 



