WE have no animals on this Island but what are met with on the neighbouring continent, and never having been accurately examined or properly classed, neither a perfect catalogue nor a complete description of such as we are enabled to notice can be given; some of the names, I imagine, are adopted from the resemblance of the animal to those of a different climate, and are sometimes so erroneously applied, that it is to be apprehended they may often mislead.

The following catalogue, arranged in the order of Linnæus, is intended to give an idea of this branch of our natural history.

Seal (phoca vitulina). This animal is very common, and is to be seen in all our rivers and harbours; it is hardly possible to cross either without seeing them; upon the setting in of the winter, when by the general freezing of the creeks and rivers, they are obliged to quit them, they assemble in great numbers on particular parts of the coast, where they know by experience that the surface will continue long open; they often quit the water at this period, and lay in great numbers carelessly sleeping on the ice: from this habit a curious circumstance happened a few years ago: on the setting in of the winter 1797, a great number of seals had assembled in a part of Hillsburgh Bay, where the strength and rapidity of the tide had prevented the surface from freezing, though all the rest of the bay, the harbours and creeks which run into it were completely frozen, and as usual great numbers of them were laying on the ice, when the severity of the frost increased so rapidly, that the whole of this opening, on which they depended for a communication with the sea, was frozen up so strongly in a few hours that when they observed their situation they could not penetrate the ice, and as there was no open water in sight of them, instead of going seaward on the ice, they took to the land, and attempted to cross the Island to get into the gulph at the north side thereof, but this was an exertion for which they were totally unqualified, and few of them got above two miles into the woods before they were completely exhausted, in this state they were discovered by some of the neighbouring settlers, and several hundred of them killed, proving a valuable booty, as many of them were very large.

Besides the seals which constantly frequent the waters of the Island, there is a larger kind brought on the coast annually in the month of April by the floating ice from the northward, which are often in great numbers, and the taking them is constantly attended to, and is frequently very productive to those who follow the business, the oil is generally carried to Halifax or Quebec, where it sells at twenty-five to thirty-two pounds per ton; the method of taking the seals is by following the ice with schooners, the success depends on the quantity of northern ice that may be brought by the wind on the coast; sometimes vast quantities come, other years little or none; when the fishermen meet with the ice they either fasten their vessels to it, or if from appearance they Judge that to be unsafe, leaving part of their crew on board to manage the vessel, the rest go upon the ice, where they find the seals asleep, frequently many hundreds together, and being an unwieldy heavy animal, which can only move very slowly out of the water, they are easily killed, a great many are shot, some are speared, others are killed by the stroke of a heavy stick on their noses, in these ways they frequently in two or three days get as many seals as their vessels will carry; sometimes the number taken is very trifling, either from there being little ice on the coast, or the weather being so bad as not to permit the vessels going among the ice; it is a precarious business, and attended with a considerable risk of the lives employed in it.

Red Fox (canis alopex). we have also the grey and the black fox; the number of foxes taken on the Island is very considerable; some years ago before bear skins were so much used in England they bore a much higher price, and were more in demand than at present; foxes do no farther injury than killing a few fowls, they never attack sheep; they are commonly taken in steel traps, sometimes they are inveigled to a particular spot in the night by a bait placed for them, here a person is concealed with a gun, at such a distance as to make sure of them; in this way five or six have been killed by one person in the course of a few hours.

Wild Cat (felix lynx) called by the French Loup Cervier, this is a large animal standing about two feet and a half high, the head and body of a full grown one, will be about three feet in length, the head is the only part of it that resembles a cat, the tail is only about an inch and a half in length; the colour a light grey, the feet are very large, spreading much to enable it-to run on the snow, it is armed with strong claws and looks more formidable than it really is; it lives upon hares and partridges which it takes by surprize; they are sometimes seen crossing the rivers on the ice in winter; when pursued in that situation by dogs it sits down quietly, until the dogs come up, when it seems much surprised at their hostility, and in return generally knocks the first dog down with a stroke of its fore paw, and then runs off, if it has above half a mile to run before it reaches the woods, the dogs will generally come up with it, when it is easily killed even by a single dog, if it escapes the dogs until it gets into the woods, it immediately runs up a tree, when it is a certain mark with a gun, very few of them have been known to attack sheep or lambs; they are chiefly caught in the winter in snares and steel traps; the skin is sold at from ten to fifteen shillings; the flesh is as white as veal, and has been frequently eaten by epicures and much relished.

Otter (mustela lutra.) These have been very plenty in the Island, and are still caught in considerable numbers, some of the skins sell as high as six dollars.

Martin (mustela.) This is a very shy little animal and is seldom seen in the woods, though some years in great abundance, it is taken in the winter by means of a small log-trap baited; its fur has been out of fashion for muffs and tippets for some years, which has rendered it less valuable than formerly.

Weasel (mustela martes.) This little animal is common, and often destructive among poultry.

Ermine (mustela erminea.) This beautiful little animal is red like a fox in summer and white in winter: it is distinguished from the common weasel by the tip of its tail which is always black; it is not common but is sometimes seen in making roads, when it is necessary to cut and remove many fallen trees, in the bodies of which it makes its nest.

Bear (ursus arctos.) The Bear known here is the black species, though they are distinguished by their muzzles, some having them red, others white, the latter are said not to do any mischief, living upon berries, ants, small fish which they catch in the creeks, and a large insect, which they obtain by tearing the old wind-fallen trees to pieces; the former are sometimes very destructive among the cattle, and will attack the largest ox or cow: the quantity of black cattle, sheep, and hogs, destroyed by them annually on the Island is very considerable, but like other evils which settlements in new countries are subject to, it will lessen rapidly, and in less than half a century, I have no doubt but the bears will be entirely extirpated. When we compare the mischief done by them, to the ravages of the wolf, in the new settlements on the Continent, it is trifling indeed. The bear, unless surprised and closely attacked, almost always runs away from a man, and except it be the she bear with her young cubs, is very seldom dangerous; in upwards of twenty years residence on the Island, I do not know a single instance of any persons losing the}r lives by a bear.

Ground Mouse (sorex murinus.) This is the little animal whose ravages have been so much spoken of and exaggerated to almost every person who has ever heard any thing of the Island, being often represented by those who are disposed from interest or otherwise, to depreciate the value of it, as attacking us periodically, and destroying every kind of vegetable production, than which nothing can be more groundless, or unfounded. In thirty years I have been acquainted with the Island and upwards of twenty years actual residence there, I have never known mice do any injury to the crops, two or three years only excepted and then partially, and by no means general through the Island. Yet I am sensible it is often mentioned in Nova Scotia, as what frequently happens, although it might be expected, that the quantity of grain which we send them annually, ought long ago to have induced them to desist from a representation, so palpably erroneous and unjust.

The same species of mice are frequently to be met with on the adjacent parts of the Continent, where they occasionally do considerable mischief, in those particular districts which happen to be in the neighbourhood of tracts of beech-wood forest. Though the mice may sometimes partially injure the crops, yet there are many years successively in which none are to be seen on the Island, and no person who is well acquainted with it, is under any serious apprehension of injury from them, and as the beach-wood forests are diminished, so will the number of the mice decrease. It being well known. their increase is owing to the great crops of beech mast, produced occasionally in certain districts, as a proof of which it is observable, that in those parts that are remote from any quantity of that wood, no injury to the crops has ever been known to happen.

Hare (lepus timidus) Hares are in great plenty all over the Island, they are chiefly taken in winter, by means of long fences or hedges made of brush wood, cut down and piled so closely, that they cannot easily get through, and in every fifteen or twenty yards of this fence a small opening is left, in which a snare is placed.

The Musquash (castor zibethictus) builds a cabin of mud and sticks in fresh water ponds he is not very shy, being frequently seen swimming about the ponds.

The Mink ( ) is an amphibious animal, and burrows in the earth by the side of rivers. Its fur is more valuable than the musquash, it is a mischievous little animal, making its way into out-houses, and destroying poultry and eggs.

Of squirrels, we have three species. The red squirrels (sciurus flavus.) The striped squirrel (sciurus striatus.) The flying squirrel (sciurus volans) this is a beautiful lively little animal, its fur is extremely delicate and fine, but it is not so common as the two first species, squirrels increase vastly in number like the mice, after an abundant crop of beech mast, particularly the striped squirrel.

The only mamillary biped which we have is the Bat (vespertillio murinus) they are to be seen in great plenty on summer evenings in the neighbourhood of houses and at the edge of the woods.
Birds

The following catalogue of birds, though not complete, is the fullest I believe that has yet been collected,

Bald Eagle Falco leucocephalus.
Brown Eagle Falco fulvus, not often seen.
Large brown Hawk Falco hudsonius.
Hen Hawk Falco sparverius.
Pigeon Hawk Falco columbarius.
White Owl Strix nyctea.
Speckled Owl Strix aluco.
Barn Owl Strix passerina.
Bird Hawk Lanius canadensis.
Crow Corvus corax
Blue Jay Corvus cristatus.
Crow Black Bird Gracula quiscula.
Great red crested Wood Pecker Picus pileatus
Red-headed Wood Pecker Picus erythrocephalus
White-back Wood Pecker Picus auratus
Speckled Wood Pecker Picus maculosus
King's Fisher Alcedo alcyon.
Humming Bird Trochilus colubris
White-head Coot Anas spectabilis
Black Duck Artas nigra
Brant Goose Anas bernicla.
Wild or Black Goose Anas canadensis

The last is the largest bird of the goose kind, it is a bird of passage, and gregarious by the mixture of this with the common goose a mongrel is produced, which is a much finer bird on the table than either of the parents, but will not breed again. Vast flocks of geese arrive from the southward towards the end of March and beginning of April, they stay but a few weeks, passing on to the northward as the season advances; a few of them, however, breed in unfrequented places on the Island, and are sometimes caught. both old and young, in the month of July, when neither can fly, they sometimes chuse to lay their eggs in the old deserted nest of the bald eagle, on the top of a dead Pine tree, eighty or ninety feet from the ground, to which they bring their young, when hatched; when they build on the ground, if they find their nest has been discovered and their eggs handled, they will immediately remove them one by one, flying, with the egg grasped between their bill and neck.

The geese begin to return from the northward about the 1st of September. In October and November they are in great numbers in all the harbours, creeks and rivers on the Island; when they return they are at first very poor, but in a few weeks become very fat and fine by feeding on the roots of the salt grass, which every where grows along the shores, and which they dig up out of the sand and mud; they are never strong nor fishy like the European Wild Goose. The Brant is a still finer bird, and are also in great numbers, they do not leave us so soon in the beginning of the Summer as the geese, staying generally till about the tenth of June, when they collect in prodigious large flocks, and go all away in two days) the noise they make for some days before they go off, when the flocks are collecting, may be heard for many miles: they return about the same time the geese do, and stay till about the end of November, when they go off to the southward, but not with the formality they observe in their migration northward, they never breed on the Island, nor any where round the Gulph, but are known to breed in great numbers on the lakes on the Coast of Labradore, and on Sagany River, which runs into the River St. Laurence.

Sea Duck Anas mollissima.
Dipper Anas albeola
Widgeon Anas penelope.
Sea Pigeon Anas histrionica.
Blue-winged Teal Anas discors.
Grey Duck Anas sponsa.
Red-bellied Sheldrake Mergus serrator.
Pyed Sheldrake Mergus castor.
Penguin Alea impennis.
Shag Pelecanus graculus.
Gannet Pelecanus cassanus.
Loon Colymbus immer.
White Gull Larus canus
Grey Gull Larus fuscus.
Mackerel Gull Larus ridbundus.
Tee-Arr, or fishing Gull Sterna minuta.
Crane Ardea canadensis
Wood Snipe Scolopax fedoa
Grey Curlew Scolopax totanus
Large-speckled Curlew Scolopax lapponica.
Beach Bird Tringa arenaria.
Black-breasted Plover Charadrius hiaticula.
Kildee Charadrius vociferus.
Pyed Plover Charadrius apricarius.
Partridge Tetrao marilandicus.

The partridge is very common in our woods, and like the mice and squirrels, become very plentiful, the year after a great crop of beech mast; they are considerably larger than the English partridge; the flesh is as white as that of a pheasant, which it resembles more on the table than a partridge, when disturbed the whole covey fly upon the nearest tree, where they often sit quietly till they are all successively shot; in the months of April and May they are easily found in the woods, from the male bird making a loud noise, by beating with his wings on an old log, which is heard at a great distance. It has been found necessary to prohibit the killing of partridges between the first of April and the first of September, by an act of the legislature; any person convicted before a magistrate of trespassing against this law, forfeits the sum of ten shillings for every partridge so killed, one half to the informer or prosecutor, the other half to the treasury of the Island: with this exception, every person is allowed to shoot when and where they please, with which the liberty claimed of fishing in ponds and rivers, measured into the different townships, and for which the proprietors pay quit rent to the crown, is complained of as a hardship: restraining people in both cases to lands owned and occupied by themselves, or to those totally unsettled and neglected would certainly be more equitable.

Wild Pigeon (columba migratoria.) Wild Pigeons come in the spring from the southward in great plenty, and breed in the woods during the summer months: some years they are in much greater number than others, when the corn is cut and in shocks, they come out of the woods in greater numbers than could be wished, and are particularly troublesome in fields near the woods.

Robin (turdus migratorius). This bird comes from the southward in April, they are in great numbers, and are about the size of an English black-bird; they stay till November.

Snow Bird (emberiza hyemalis). The snow bird is about the size of a sparrow, has a beautifully variegated plumage; they are to be seen about the houses and barn yards in winter, in small flocks; they are very delicate, and said to be equal in flavour to the European ortalon.

Boblincoln Emberiza oryzivora.
YeIlow Bird Fringilla tristis.
Winter Sparrow Fringilla grisea
Spring Bird Fringilla.
Cat Bird Muscicapa carolinensis
Yellow Crown Muscicapa flava.
Blue Bird Motacilla sialis.
Common Wren Motacilla trochillus.
Blue Titmouse Parus americanus.
Tomteet Parus virginianus.
Bank Swallow Hirundo riparia.
Whip Poor Will Caprimulgus europæns
Night Hawk Caprimulgus americanus

There are many other birds whose names I am not sufficiently acquainted with to enable me to include them in this catalogue.
Reptiles.

Toad Rana bufo.
Pond Frog Rana occellata.
Green Frog Rana arboria.
Bull Frog Rana Boans.
Brown Lizard Lacerta punctata.

Serpents

Brown Snake Coluber sipedon,
Green Snake Coluber saurita.
Striped Snake Anguis eryx.

None of these Snakes are dangerous, or their bite in the least poisonous. That there is no dangerous reptile in the Island, must be considered as a very pleasant circumstance, as people can traverse the forest every where, and sleep there without being under any apprehension of injury.
Amphibious Fishes

Dog Fish Squalus catulus.
Shark Squalus carcharius.
Sturgeon Acipenser sturio.

Sharks are not often seen, however; they are to be met with on the Coast of the Island, but have very seldom been known to come into the harbours. Sturgeons are very common in the summer months in all the harbours, the Indians are the only people who catch them, some of them are six and seven feet in length.
Fishes.

Eel (muræna anguilla). Eels are in great plenty here, and in no other country finer, they go into the mud in the winter, many feet under the surface; they are found in greatest plenty in the harbours on the north side of the Island, where they bed in the muddy flats, they are also known to get under the salt marshes in some places, and are particularly fond of situations where there are springs of fresh water issuing out of the earth, they are taken in winter by cutting holes in the ice, and driving a spear into the mud, these spears have five prongs, the extremities of which are all turned up inwards, ending in a sharp point, when they happen to strike an eel in the mud, it is held between the prongs which being elastic, open by the pressure, and when pulled up, the sharp turned-up prongs prevent the eels escaping till they are shook off the spear upon the ice, it is very laborious work taking them, but they are well worth the trouble, being extremely rich and fine, a barrel of eels is reckoned of as much value to a labouring family as one of salted meat, they are also taken on the flats in summer nights by torch light; the calm nights which so frequently happen in the months of June and July afford many opportunities for this kind of fishing, which is not an unpleasant amusement, various other fish such as skate, flounders, trout, tom cod, bass, and plenty of lobsters are taken at the same time, the whole is done by spearing, except the lobsters, which are taken by putting a cleft pole over their backs, and pressing it down, until it takes sufficient hold of them, when they ale lifted into the boat, by this means the shell is not in the least injured. The fish seem infatuated by the light, and keep swimming round the boat; the torches used, are made of white birch bark tyed up in a small bundle, this easily takes fire, burns with great brilliancy, and lasts a considerable time, the on]y apparatus is a cleft stick of seven or eight feet in length, which is stuck up in the bow of the boat or canoe, in the top or cleft the torches are stuck, and when nearly burned out, are replaced by a fresh one. The Indians are the most expert hands at this fishery, and their light bark canoes, which they manage with wonderful dexterity, give them a great advantage over a person in a common canoe or skiff.

Haddock Gadus oeglesinus
Cod Gadus morhua

Cod are perhaps no where in greater plenty than on the coast of the Island, all the principal fishing ground in the Gulph of St. Laurence, is in sight of our shores, the Americans at present, reap the greatest advantage of the cod fishery here.

Tom-Cod or Frost Fish (Gadus luscus.) This fish is in great abundance in all our harbours, in flavour it much resembles the whiting of the British seas, they come into the creeks and rivulets to spawn in vast numbers in the month of December, when they are easily taken.

Hake Gadus molva
Sculpion Cottus quadricornis.
Flounder Pleuronectes flessus.
Halibut Pleuronectes Hippoglossus.

This is a very large fish, and though often eat is very coarse, the fins only are very palatable, they are sometimes got of 300 lb. weight.

White Perch Perca lucioperca.
Sea Perch Perca undulata.
Bass Perca ocelata.

Perch are very fine here, and are found in all our rivers and ponds that have a communication with the sea. Bass are in great numbers in all our harbours, they are frequently got at the narrow entrance of the north-side harbours on moon-light nights, with a hook and line; the line and hook baited with the tail of a lobster is coiled up and thrown into deep water, and drawn on shore quickly, in this way many are. taken, they are also speared on the flats in the bays and harbours of the south side, where they are in great plenty.

Chub Perca philadelphica.
Bream Perca chrysoptera
Mackerel Scomber scomber.

Mackerel are in great plenty on this coast, and come into all our harbours, in which they are caught from July to November.

Salmon (salmo salar.) Though salmon are found in all our rivers, they are not in such abundance, as in the great fresh-water rivers in our neighbourhood on the Continent, in some of which, are perhaps the greatest salmon fisheries in the world, on the north side of the Island, in all the harbours they may be seen leaping out of the water frequently in the months of June and July, particularly at St. Peter's Bay, where, and in the River Morell, which runs into it a great many are taken: they do not come into the Hillsburgh River, and the other rivers on the south side of the Island, until the latter end of September; and the beginning of October, when they are on the point of spawning, and are not good. The old French people on the Island say, that salmon were formerly in much greater plenty than they have been for many years past, as a proof of which, they relate that two brigs of considerable burthen, used to load annually with salmon, caught in the harbour of St. Peters, for Rochelle in France.

Trout (salmo fario) are found in all our rivers, harbours, and ponds, and having access to the sea, are extremely fine, and often very large. Trout fishing in the bays on the north side in the latter end of May and beginning of June, affords fine amusement to such as are fond of it, the method is to anchor a boat near the edge of the channel, where there is a considerable ripple occasioned by the tide, here an angler is not incommoded with any thing, and he has room to display his skill to the utmost, and is sure of abundant sport. In July the trout go into the fresh water, and in some places are taken in great numbers.

Smelt (salmo eperianus.) Smelts are in great abundance, they are finest in winter, and are easily taken by cutting a hole in the ice, on the salt water close to the shore, where the water is not more than eighteen inches deep, they bite readily at a little bit of white meat. In April they go into the fresh-water brooks and springs, in such numbers that they may be taken up by a scoop nett in bushels, they are much larger, and finer flavoured than any I ever saw in England.

Herring (clupea harengus.) This fish frequents the coasts, bays, and harbours of this Island, in immense shoals; in the latter end of April and beginning of May, they may literally be said to fill them, particularly the north-side harbours, and the harbour of George Town; there is no difficulty in taking them in any quantity in which they can possibly be wanted.

Alewife or Gasperaux (clupea serrata.) This species, though not so plentiful as the common herring, are found in great numbers in many parts of the Island, they go into the fresh water to spawn. In the beginning of June, great shoals of them go up the Hillsburgh River, towards the head of which a good many are taken annually.

Skate Raia batis.
Thornback ltaia clavata.

There are many other fishes not known to me by such names, as will enable me to arrange them.

Crabs, Lobsters, and Shrimps. (Cancer).
Lobsters are in the greatest plenty in all our harbours and on the coast, they are seldom sold for more than sixpence a dozen, and are often very fine. The crabs are of no value. Shrimps are found on all the flats in our harbours in summer and are large and fine.

Vermes.

Sea Clam Holothuria phantaphus.
Squid Sepia media.
Hog Clam Mya arenaria.
Razor Shell Fish Solen ensis.
Long Shell Clam Solen radiatis.

Oyster (ostrea). Oysters are in great plenty in all the harbours on the Island, in some places beds of them of several acres extent may be found, most of the lime hitherto used in the Island has been burnt from their shells, and it is commonly the practice to burn the live oysters for that purpose, putting many hundred barrels of them in a kiln together. They are preferred to any other American oysters by all Europeans who have eaten them.

Muscle (mytilus edulis). Large beds of muscles are found in most of our harbours, which are never used for any other purpose than making lime of their shells.
Insects.

Horned Beetle Scaraboeus simson
Lady Fly Coccinella, several species
Fire Fly Lampyris lucida:

Grasshopper (grillus). Several species which are often injurious to our grass lands and pastures in dry summers.

Bug Cinex. several species.
Butter Fly Papilio numerous species
Dragon Fly,
Adder Fly Libellula, several species
Wasp,
Hornet Vespa, several species.
Bumble Bee,
Wild Bee (Apis) several species
Ant (Formica) many species
Black Fly
Brown Fly Numerous species
Horse Fly (Tabanus)several species
Mosquito (Culex Pipiens)

Mosquitos and the small black or Sand Fly are very troublesome in summer, but they decrease much as the country is cleared; they are worst in the neighbourhood of salt marshes or wet ground; in open clear lands that face the south west they are not much felt, except in calm moist weather.
[Sea-cow (trichecus manatus)].

Upon looking over this account of our native animals, I found that the sea-cow, formerly so plenty, had escaped my attention, as many people think they will again become so, and as they still exist, though greatly reduced in number, it is hoped the following short account of them may be satisfactory.

Sea-cow (trichecus manatus). This large amphibious animal was found in great numbers on the north coast of this Island thirty years ago, but they have now become very scarce, and are seldom seen on shore. From 1770 to 1775, they were annually caught in considerable numbers near the north point of the Island, at that time Governor Patterson assumed the right of granting the sea-cow fishery as it was called, (though the whole business was carried on on dry land) by an annual licence, Upon which a considerable fee was paid, and sometimes it was very profitable, as great numbers were then taken.

These animals were accustomed to resort to one or two particular spots near the north cape, and several hundreds would sometimes go on shore at once; they were left undisturbed until the wind blew off the land, when the people got between them and the sea, and probed those that were next to them with sticks, whose points were brought nearly to the same degree of sharpness as the large tusks of these animals, this set them in motion towards the woods, and they probed on those that were before them, and the whole flock, said sometimes to exceed three hundred, were soon in motion and proceeded into the woods, where they were easily killed with long spears. It sometimes happened that without any apparent reason they would turn back towards the sea, before they had got so far from it as to render the attempt to begin the slaughter safe, and if still in sight of the sea, on their return they kept in a body to which nothing could be opposed with any effect; but when got a considerable way into the woods they appeared to loose their sagacity, and scattered in different directions, seeming at the same time insensible of danger; though the slaughter of their fellows was going on close to them I have been informed that some of them would weigh four thousand pounds; their oil is said to be the purest of all animal oil, and the French inhabitants of the island eat it very readily; some parts of the skins are an inch and a half in thickness, and prodigiously strong and valuable for making many useful articles, which, if kept dry, are very durable, even without tanning or dressing of any kind: the large tusks produce a species of Ivory closer grained than the common Ivory. These teeth are evidently given them by nature to enable them to dig the shell fish out of the bottom of the sea, on which they appear to live, no other substance being ever found in their stomachs. They are not found on any other part of the eastern coast of America, to the southward of Hudson's Bay, than in the Gulph of St Laurence, all the southern part of which, is of a moderate depth of water, seldom exceeding 25 fathoms, and the bottom generally sandy, and producing vast quantities of shell fish.

The coast both to the northward and southward of the gulph, for a great distance is every where rocky ground with deep water, which is supposed to be the reason that these animals, who require only a moderate depth of water and a sandy bottom for producing shell fish, are not found on this coast, but in the gulph; besides what were taken annually on this Island in the manner above mentioned, great numbers were taken on and about the Magdalen Islands in the summer months, where they resorted much at that season of the year with their young, of which they are so fond, that they will run any risk for their preservation; and though they were supposed to have decreased much, they were still found in considerable numbers, till after the American war, when so many New England fishermen poured into the gulph, and attacked them about the Magdalen Islands in summer, that in two or three years the species were nearly destroyed, few having been seen for several years after, however the breed still exists, and they are now known to be increasing fast, and if the killing them was but under proper regulations, they might again become so numerous as to be an object of great consequence, but this never can be the case while the New England fishermen are allowed to come into the gulph and destroy them.