276 



the Canadian sportsman and naturalist. 



102. Pcffinus fdliginosus. Sooty Shear- 

 water — A few were seen by Dr. Coues in com- 

 pany with P. major. 



103. Colymbus torquatus. Loon. — Abun- 

 dant. Breeds inland. 



104. Coltmbds septentrionalis. Red-throaled 

 Diver. Dr. Coues obtainen " two eggs sup- 

 posed to be of this species at Sloop Harbor, on 

 the 4th of July." 



105. Colymbus arcticus. Black-throated 

 Diter. — Two specimens were obtained of this 

 rare bitd off the Labrador coast by one of the 

 French priests at Bersimis, one in 1880. 



106. Podiceps holbollii. American Red- 

 necked Grebe. — Not rare in spring and fall. 

 Occasionally breeds. 



107. Utamania torda. Razor-billed Auk. 

 ■ — Abundant, more so north of Esquimaux 

 River. Breeds. 



108. Fratercula arctica. Puffin. — Abun- 

 dant on one or two islands near Bradore ; not 

 yare in other localities along the coast. 



109. Alle nigricans. Sea Dove. — Abundant 

 certain seasons. Occasional all along the 

 coast. 



110. Uria grylle. Black Guillemot. —Com- 

 mon everywhere in spring and fall. Breeds 

 in certain localities abuudantly, though not so 

 much so as either U. torda, or F. arctica, or L. 

 troile. 



111. Lomvia troile. Foolish Guillemot. — 

 Abundant ; more so south of Esquimaux 

 River. Breeds like U. torda in vast colonies 

 on the islands along the coast. 



FISHES. 



A very few of the species in this most im- 

 portant department have been secured this 

 year, 1882 ; and though they are only the 

 most common and abundant species, they will 

 perhaps serve to show a part of the character- 

 istic lish fauna of this region. 



Ctknolabrits adspersus. Common Blue 



J'erch. — Was very common all about Cape 

 Britain. 



Gasterosteus aculeatus. Common St.ikle- 

 back. — Abundant in huge swarms everywhere 

 about the shoal waters of Cape Britain. I 

 saw two specimens of Gasterosteus biaculeatus, 

 taken off coast in the midst of a large sea, 

 sporting in immense areas close by the vessel. 



Gastd-rosteus pungitius. Was found occa- 

 sionally off Cape Breton coast. 



Osmeuus mokdax. Smelt — Common in Au- 

 gust, all along the shoal water off the wharves 

 of Cape Britain. 



Scomber scomisros. Mackerel. — Seldom taken 

 at all on the Laurador coast, except as isolated 

 individuals or by twos and threes. One per- 



son at Triangle Harbor took eight while we 

 were there, but said that he had not taken as 

 many before in as many years. 



Salmo salar. Salmon. — Common every- 

 wheie in the mouths of rivers all along the 

 Labrador coast. The most abundant species 

 of the family. 



Salvelinus pontinalis. Speckled Brook-trout. 

 — Abundant in ali the streams along the coast, 

 seldom growing large. Is said not to be found 

 in the ponds or far from the mouths of the 

 streams, not mingling much if any with the 

 large sea trout. 



Mallotps villosus. Caperlin.— Abundant 

 in large colonies in shoal water all along the 

 coast. Used for cod bait, and pursued and fed 

 on by tne codfish in the water. When travel- 

 ing in these large bodies the movements of 

 the whole body seem to be almost simulta- 

 neous, and though the front of the phalanx is 

 generally composed of a single fish, the two 

 sides fall off triangularly, so that strange to 

 say, the change of direction appears, if it is 

 not in reality, to be simply the assuming the 

 chief position by any fish, in any position 

 along the line, while all the others imme- 

 diately fall into their proper place, and the 

 whole body moves off as an acute triangular 

 shaped mass of living Caperlin. When few in 

 number, they delight to swim singly, or by 

 twos or threes in a long line, repeatedly sink- 

 ing and swimming under the vessel from side 

 to side, shortly returning again. 



Clupea harengus. English Herring.— Abun- 

 dant north of Blanc Sablon, growing more and 

 more so all along the Labrador coast, the 

 further down which are the greatest catches. 

 The young fish remain about in the waters all 

 the year, if the reports of several different 

 individuals can be credited. The people tell 

 me that they refrain from catching the fish 

 until September, so that the young may have 

 a chance to grow to the fine, largo fish for 

 which this region is so celebrated, but that the 

 nets might be drawn full of small fish in any 

 month of the year when the ice did not interfere. 



Gadds morrhua. Common Cod. — Abundant 

 everywhere; but usually the fish are small, 

 and seldom the size of those taken off the 

 Grand Banks. Most of them go to France, 

 where they seem to be preferred to the larger 

 fish. The larger fish are taken chiefly in the 

 fall, in deep water — 70 to 1.00 fathoms — the 

 spring and summer fish average 3 to 8 and 10 

 pounds, and are taken in about 8 to 15 fathoms 

 of water. The Squid is not common nor even 

 " not rare " along the Labrador coast. Al- 

 though it is an abundant bait off Newfound- 

 land, it is very rare along the Labrador coast 



