428 AUDUBON 



they were full grown, and as well as could be seen, exactly 

 resembled the dead ones. The whole group flew much 

 like the Peregrine Falcon, which indeed resembles them 

 much in form, but neither in size nor color. Sometimes 

 they hover almost high in air like a small Sparrow Hawk 

 when watching some object fit for prey on the ground, and 

 now and then cry much like the latter, but louder in pro- 

 portion with the difference of size in the two species. 

 Several times they alighted on stakes in the sandbar at 

 the entrance of Bras d'Or River, and stood not as Hawks 

 generally do, uprightly, but horizontally and much like a 

 Lestris or a Tern. Beneath their nest we found the re- 

 mains of Alca tarda, Uria troile, and Mormon arcticus — all 

 of which are within their reach on an island here called 

 Parocket Island — also the remains of Curlews and Ptarmi- 

 gans. The nest was so situated that it could not be 

 reached, only seen into. Both birds were brought to me 

 in excellent order. No more is known of this bird, I 

 believe. 



My evening has been enlivened by the two Italians 

 from the "Wizard," who have been singing many songs 

 to the accompaniment of John's violin. 



August 11. At sea. Gulf of St. Lawrence. We are 

 now, seven of the evening, fully fifty miles from the coast 

 of Labrador. We left our harbor at eleven o'clock with 

 a fair breeze ; the storm of last night had died away and 

 everything looked promising. The boats were sent ashore 

 for a supply of fresh water; John and Coolidge went after 

 Curlews; the rest of the crew, assisted by that of the 

 "Wizard," raised the anchors, and all was soon in readi- 

 ness. The bottom of our vessel had been previously 

 scraped and cleaned from the thousands of barnacles, 

 which, with a growth of seaweeds, seemed to feed upon 

 her as they do on the throat of a whale. The two Italians 

 and Captain Wilcomb came on board to bid us adieu; we 

 hoisted sail, and came out of the Labrador harbor. Sel- 



