52 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



mistake in his description of the eggs of this 

 species. The egg is larger than that of any other 

 sparrow found within this latitude, and they are 

 completely covered with blotches of a ferru" 

 ginous tint. Contrary to the habit of sparrows, 

 this nest was built in a low fir tree, about three 

 feet from the ground. The Blackburnian 

 Warbler was common in June in the woods of 

 Natashquan, but no nest was found ; it is pos- 

 sible that they pass on to the northern margin 

 of the forest which adjoin the plains to breed. 

 Five eggs of the Ptarmigan {Lagopus albus) 

 was noticed strung against the wall of a house 

 in Kegaska. The nest was found in the woods 

 behind the settlement. On the 8th of June, 

 When at Watsheesho we noticed the Canada 

 Jay (Perisoreus Canadensis) in company with 

 its young, which were nearly fledged. Being 

 anxious to ascertain what these birds fed on, 

 as their nests must have been formed about the 

 middle of April : four of these were shot, and 

 their stomachs contained abundance of a soft 

 red berry that grows in swampy places on the 

 plains. It is a species of cranberry, which 

 ripens under the snow during winter. They are 

 gathered by the people on the coast who convert 

 them with sugar into a delicious preserve. We 

 will close our present remarks by noticing that 

 the Bald Eagle and the Raven occupy the 

 cliffs near the River Corneille, where they bring 

 forth their young. We will give a list of the 

 Western forms of birds occurring on the Labra- 

 dor coast, in our next number. 



TO SPORTSMEN AND NATURALISTS. 



Our periodical is the only one in the Do- 

 minion of Canada which professes to devote 

 its columns to pure sport and Natural History. 

 It is within the reach of all who wish to obtain 

 information on these matters. We are anxious 

 to increase our list of subscribers, and there- 

 fore ask all lovers of true sport to support it. 

 We solicit correspondence from the Sportsmen 

 and Naturalists throughout the Dominion ; 

 also ask them to advance our efforts to sustain 



the journal. So far, we cannot complain of our 

 success, — we have some of the best men in the 

 country on Hst — but doubtless there are many 

 Canadian gentlemen, fond of the rod and 

 gun, who have not seen our magazine. We 

 would therefore consider it an act of kindness 

 if those who have subscribed, would induce 

 their friends to send us their names. The price 

 is one dollar per annum in advance. The back 

 numbers from January can be supplied. 



THE RACCOON.— (Procgon lotor.) 

 This quadruped appears to have a wide range, 

 occurring from Carolina to the cold latitudes 

 of the fur country. A male raccoon was shot 

 on the 1st of July, a short distance west of the 

 water wheelhouse of this city, near where a 

 female of the same species was shot last year. 

 The animal is not common on this island. It 

 belongs to the plantigrade section of fhe Carni- 

 votra, but though the soles of the feet are naked, 

 it is only while at rest that they are fairly ap- 

 plied to the ground. While in motion tbe heel 

 is raised, yet the gait of the raccoon is heavy 

 and awkward ; its limbs are short and stout, its 

 back is arched, and the body is round, thick, 

 and massive, with a marked fulness about the 

 flanks, adding to its breadth and making the 

 limbs seem shorter than they are in reality. Its 

 fur is of two kinds, a soft full undercoat, and 

 an upper vest of long and rather coarse hair. 

 The general colour is dusk}' grey, the tint aris- 

 ing from each long hair being annulated with 

 white and tipped with black. The face, cheeks 

 and throat are white, with an oblique black 

 dash across the face, which also spreads round 

 the eyes ; the tail has four or five dusky-black 

 rings ; the length is about two feet, of which 

 the tail is eight or nine inches. Left to itself the 

 raccoon sleeps in its retreat during the day, 

 rolled up in the form of a ball, with the head 

 placed between the thighs. As evening sets in, 

 he begins to prowl for food ; roots, succulent 

 vegetables, insects, worms, birds and their 

 eggs constitute its diet. In captivity, it is easily 



