Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-06-22

out snow OF nght. But young bird
nearly full grown showed all the fight that
any coward would when driven into cor.
ner from which he could not escape. Al
though unable to fly from the nest, he
Kissed, and screamed, and bit, and struck
with his talons, so that he was captured
only after hard-fought battle /; while the
old eagle scared above, prudently keeping
out of gun-shot. The young fellow was
captured and brought in by some of our
company, who were anxious 1 should visit
the place-which was very willing to do.
On one of the high cliffs overlooking the
ocean We found pointed rock, like dis
mantled tower, which, on one side, could
be assembled without difficulty, and from
the top of which could be seen one of the
grandest dreary scenes that human eye
ever looked upon. Lofty mountains
crowned with snow and ice form the back
ground, while barren rocks, with here and
there tuft of moss and arctic heritage,
extend TO the ocean on either side. Bold,
broken islands dot the coast, and sweeping
between them, and stretching far out to
sea, is the hoe-ice, borne north by the
upper shore current; and towering up
like relationships in the horizon, are tall
icebergs slowly drifting to the south. All
this scene, checkered with the light and
shadow of Greenland summers twilight,
formed picture never to be forgotten.
On this nest of rock, eagles must have
reared their young for ages. The record
of the time is marked by the piles of
Wondering bones and refuse of the nest
slowly decaying at the bottom of the cliff
We doubt not this old crag was the dwell
ling-place of the eagles before the founda.
tion-stones were laid of the Oldest castle
on the Rhine
But it is at the waters edge that we
find the home of the birds. The thousands
that congregate here are a marvel-auks
and pufins, terms and gulls, ducks and
divers, dotting the water In every direc-
ton, fitting through the air from point to
point, and swarming upon the rocks and
breeding islands. Birds of the north are
generally spoken Of as of a sombre hue
and so they are, compared with some of
the glittering specimens from the torrid
zone. But the harlequin duck, the males
of the king and common elder, and the
metallic gloss of the mallard, would hardly
strike one as sombre in coloriDg. if they
are not brilliant. The skins of these
birds, when dressed and arranged in muffs
and robes by the Esquimaux, are rarely
surpassed in elegance.
Birds of the same kind generally ap-
propriate an island to themselves, unless it
is large. Their distribution among the
islands is probably determined by the
fitness of the island to the habits of the
bird. The putin must have soil in which
she can burrow like a rabbit to form her
nest and the islands frequented by them
are tunnelled in all directions ike ant
hills. The elder duck forms its nest among
the grass or stones on the larger islands,
and may be found near the breeding places
of other birds of kindred habits. The
tern seem to monopolize the small grassy
islands. On some of these, in the height
of the breeding season, you can gather an
abundance .. 80 4sEn Of 6 SEeTy
representing every days growth TO the
full-fedged bird. All sizes not able to
fly are scampering through the grass like
crickets while hundreds of old tern, max
ing common sause against the intruder.
fill the air with their screams, and often
pounce upon their enemy's head How
they distinguish their own young in the
mixed crowd of birds is a mystery That
they do | somewhat doubt for one young
tern, perched by himself upon rock,
saw fed by three old tern in rapid success
sion. Doubtless, they have some method
of doing the work correctly. Either in
stlnct enables the parent to know its own
IN the crowd, or the community of old
birds are able to distribute their favors
according TO the needs of the Young.
This abundance of birds is of no slight
Importance to the inhabitants of those
northern countries, Greenland, Ice and.
and the islands near them They furnish
eggs and flesh for food, and, some of them.
feathers and down for sale. Their skins,
when dressed, are highly priced by the
Esquimaux for clothing. A bird skin
shirt with down next to the body seemed
20 be favorite article of dress even in a |
Greenland summer. The washing of such |
a garment would not be convenient. But |
this never troubles an Esquimaux, for it |
is doubtful if he knows what the word |
means
DR.. Kane tells US he engaged his hunter
because he could spear bird on the wing. |
Any well-trained Esquimaux would be
very much ashamed of himself not to be |
able to do this. Coneealing himself near
some high bluff, around which the birds |
often fly to and from their feeding-grounds,
his bird-spear darts like an arrow through |
The air, and seldom misses its aim. The /
great northern divers, or looms, that often |
battle our best gunners, are captured in
arge numbers by these skillful spearmen
GU can purchase muffs and robes made
entirely of the skin taken from the necks
If these birds.
Other birds are killed in still greater
numbers. To manufacture single robe
If male eider-skins now in my possession,
he missionary informed me that he pur-
biased more than 700 skins, that he might
elect those of proper quality, and free
rom injury of spear or blood. This robe
vas made by the natives, and consists of
mall pieces cut from the breast of the
Iressed skins of the male elder. The
Gathers are carefully removed, to leave
he beautiful thick down upon the skin,
nd the edge of the robe is adorned with
border OF the rich colored skin taken
rom the head of the same bird. The
killful workmanship, as well as beauty of
material, has delighted every one who has
listed the cabinet of Williams College,
there it is deposited.
The eider.duck justly attracts the atten-
ion of every lover of birds She contri-
utes largely to the comfort of the poor
orthern people, so much so that elder
own is one of the most considerable
ources of revenue to the Icelanders. This
own, so highly valued. is taken from the
est, where the mother bird has placed it
5 a protection for her eggs She plucks