BIRDS OF THE NORTHEASTERN COAST OF 
LABRADOR. 
Brown-Harvard Expedition of 1900, under the Leadership 
of Professor Delabarre. 
BY HENRY B. BIGELOW. 
The observations noted in the following list were made on the 
Brown-Harvard Labrador expedition of 1900 . The area em¬ 
braced was that portion of the eastern coast from Belle Isle, Lat. 
51 0 53 ', to Nachvak Fiord, Lat. 59 0 . The birds noted are strictly 
those of the immediate coast region, for we did not penetrate 
much farther into the interior than the heads of the bays. 
The coast fauna combines both arctic and sub-arctic forms, 
comprising such arctic species as the polar bear, arctic wolf, white 
fox, Hudson Bay lemming, barren ground caribou, and at the 
same localities the black bear and the red fox. Among the birds 
the same combination can be noted. It will be seen at once that 
the list does not contain many species given by Turner as occur¬ 
ring at Ungava. This is explained by the fact that the eastern 
coast is absolutely cut off from the interior by the range of moun¬ 
tains which follows the shore. This range, which attains an ex¬ 
treme height of perhaps six or seven thousand feet, rises abruptly 
from the water’s edge, so that the coast region proper is restricted 
to a narrow strip, merging at once into the barren hillsides and 
bowlder slopes of the uplands. This ridge is an insurmountable 
barrier to the wanderings of most of the small birds. The hilltops 
were inhabited only by a few Titlarks, Snow Buntings, Longspurs, 
and Rough-legged Hawks. 
The vegetation of the coast region, especially of the islands, is 
very scanty. The timber line, for the immediate seacoast, is near 
Hamilton Inlet. About the heads of the bays we found timber as 
far north as Nain, beyond which the trees' dwindled to scrub 
spruces, and dwarf willows and birches along the lower water 
courses. Most of the barren country is covered with caribou 
moss, with blueberries and Labrador tea growing profusely in the 
boggy places. 
The climate is cold, the mean temperature for the year being 
about 29 0 Fahrenheit. During the summer it ranged from 29 0 to 
about 55 0 . Twice we got temperature of 70 °, but this was only 
in very sheltered spots, and for an hour or two at a time. 
Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p p ZV.Zt" 
1 . Urinator imber. Loon. — Fairly common along the coast, particu¬ 
larly in the deeper fiords and on the larger lakes. Breeding locally. The 
skins from the necks of adult loons are much used by the Eskimo for 
ornamental work. 
