The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-08
BIRDS OF THE MAGDALENS.
VISIT or AN ORNITHOLOGTST TO THE
GREAT BIRD ROCKS.
Inaccessible Retreat Of the Sea Birds
in the Gulf Of st. Lawrence whiriins Mul-
titudes Of Gannets. kittiwakes. Auks
and PanhRs-LIfe In the LIEhthOuse.
From TIC Boston Transcript.

SNuucS p" eAhucts.
and Psfnas-LLfe In the Lighthouse.
From TIC Boston Transcript.
BIRD Rocks. Magdalen Islands. June %
Sitting in the pleasant homc Of the light
house keeper as the evening shadows deepen.
IL Is with strangely mingled feelings that the
attempt is made to paint in words the picture
Of this remote. Inaccessible but fascinating
bit Of sea-beat cliff. The head is almost dizzy
with the whir OF wings, and the ears ring with
strange cries. Four days isolated from the
world on a two-acre islet crag. alone with
one family OF man. but with thousands Of the
sea ~birds-what a memory this will be in days
TO come
Seven dollars for the steamer trip, a full
days voyage each way, counting stops, from
Pictou. Nova Scotia, to the Magdalen Islands
and return: but s25 or more to be carried by
schooner To Bird Rock. twenty miles, 10 be
left for a few days and be called for. represent
the difficulty Of the last stage Of the journey.
Theoretically. one might go in a small sail
boat, and this indeed has been done. But.
after one has been TO the rock. he will for
swear such dangerous experiments. II would
require a goodly part of the s25 to induce a
fisherman TO Try IL, and one would take his
life In his hands. The day may be never so
pleasant. but in a few moments the whole
aspect OF things may be changed. when5one
would give all he owned to be ashore. The Gulf
of 81. Lawrence is a power not Ia be triied with
Months ago the present trip was planned
and the schooner engaged for the Goth Of June.
A day later was the time settled upon. After
a week on the Ma9dalens. the eventful day
was ushered in with a cold southeast wind.
white-capped sea and a procession Of breakers
~ | A.. N--s
Taker would keep the appointment. as it was
evidently too rough To land on the rock. and
a proviso for delay had been made In case
of bad weather. But suddenly some one dis
covered the Sea Gem of the point. A couple
Of fishermen rowed Us out to the p~llnging
vessel. and somehow We managed to tumble
aboard. Six miles Of beach and sand dunes
past. the stern was turned to East Point Of
the Magdalens and the bow northeast toward
the invisible and TO US unknown country beyond.
A fog bank lay before Us. well out. but in an
hour everything was gray. Occasional stray
Cling gannets. kittiwakes and INJURIES were
the straws that showed which way the wind
blew, for. As all roads lead TO Rome. so does
the air-lin route Of the Gulf sea birds to the
Bird Rocks.
Then tho fog at length began TO lift, and Capt.
Taker, on the howsprit, straining his eyes.
finally uttered a triumphant shout. Out OF the
haze, a mile ahead. doomed up the impressive
red sandstone cliffs that We had come far to see.
The dream was realized there was the veil Of
circling birds and the white sea of sannets on
the lodges of the face Of the pracipice. Above
all ross the white lighthouse tower. with a clus-
ter OF neat white or red buildings nesting
around II, The Union Jack at the schooner's
II
ensign on the fsspole.
II would be a phlesmatic temperament indeed
that would allow one without a thrill Of wonder
and awe to round the point Of this fortress Of
nature. gaze upon those heights. and witness
for the first time the sights Of the metropolis
OF feathers. A wilderness Of wings. worn
not at the cruel decree Of fashion on the head.
but where the Creator intended that they should
be, and adapted 10 their purpose What dex-
terity no collisions! What grace. And how
easy i seems TO fy when the difficult art Is 80
erortless on the part Of the hunblest citizen
here
form far above, and the splash OF the anchor
comes in prompt obedience, over goes the
dory. into II men and baggage. and last, Of all
the tardy bird enthusiast, who must expose a
couple Of plates on the scene Of a lifetime.
Landing. for a wonder, l. easily effected on a
tiny bit of beach, the only ono there i. fortu-
nately at this time under the lea. else no landing
to-day would have been possible, The beach is
Of sandstone debris. only a few rods long. and
IL Is but a couple Of rods back from the waters
edge that the sheer elm rises 10. feet There is
has not wings. The choice lies between climb
ing a ladder spiked TO the rocky wall and being
hoisted IN a crate BY a rqpe. OF N" Two evils
hoisting apparatus. was known TO he perfectly
safe. II was with feelings Of a decidedly inter-
clear Of the ground. and went slowly. yet surely.
up. up. up, past a crowded cluster Of INJURIES
black and white, each squatttng on IT, one egg
on the bare and narrow ledge above. an array
OF snowy gannsts on the left. close by. gracrful
gull kittiwakes-aaCh on It's nest. some
standing up to disclose two notified Eggs or
downy young stu higher, and more INJURIES
an razor billed auks, With perhaps a putin or
Two on the upper Lodges, or Of to one side.
on the very top. then a swing OF the derrick
ar, Z, TO one aide and the crate was on terra frma.
the kind-hearted keener--Capt. Peter Bourque
The population of Bird Rock at present writ
ing consists OF a keeper his son, daughter and
niece. two visitors, a COW two sheep, a dog.
a pig a small flock Of domestic fowl and an army
Of seabirds OF these the chief and greatest
is the ,eannet. a maSnIhcent white creature
the more the wind blows the Wider are Their
,iSs,nrs ~ the "A weather patf, t"eI HOURS Serse bs az ptI . yai.
the gannets become particularly active, and
the keeper looks for a breeze He says they
extend their wanderinss anywhere in a radius
vi INV hh'- 'FAAaA NV a'e - ~ wv
retrace their paths toward the Rock at the
approach Of night, TO roost on the well-knovn
lodges. They nre fishermen by trade, secur-
ing their prey by pitching headlong into the
ocean from mid-air. Seated at the edge Of
the dizzy height, We gaze at banks OF them be-
low. close together on their cities OF nests. wher-
ever the shelving Lodges permit il. Others are
ever passing the sides or top Of the clny in end
less PROCESSION, while others still are pllnR-
ing into the sea out beyond Now and I hen
one flies up on the rock with a heakful Of sea-
weed. which IL adds to is frail nest. to keep
the single. great. white egg. ms large rs a tur-
keys. from rolling out.
Next Ia numbers come the guillemots or
INJURIES. birds that sit erect on their rumps. PEN
gum fashion Long rows or groups OF them on
lodges Of the Gin ara in striking contrast to
the gannets. with their black backs and white
breasts. each covering its long. pear-shaped
egg that i laid. not In any constructed nest.
bur on the bare rock. The shape OF the egg
j. the very best TO prevent rolling but for all
that the birds, departing in a hurry. either az
the conclusion OF the bomb which l. fred dur
ing Fog as a warning TO vessels, at the sudden
drag the egg after them and II falls In the water
or on the Lodges below Then the murre,
nothing dauntad. lays again after a few days.
There are two species Ot them mingling in har-
mony. the common and the Brinnich's. about
equally abundant. with a possible majority in
favor ~ the former
The razor-billed aux is similar TO the INJURIES
in habits and color, but has rather more Of a
tail. and lays it, egg. though also on the bare
rock. in "A more sheltered situation. usually
under n rock or in A slight chasm Its razor
shaped bill Is in contrast 10 the sharp one Of
the murra.
The lower lodges are occupied bv the grace
full kittiwake gull Each pair build a nest Of
ssawead that j. stuck or saddlad onto some
tiny niche or projection Just large enough to
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