It was in wandering around the woods and shores of the St. Lawrence as a child with the neighbour, a keen birder, and fishing in the trout streams, that James MacPherson Le Moine first developed an intense relationship with the plants and animals around him, especially the birds, and a desire to understand their lives.

With his first book on birds, he aimed to popularize ornithology throughout Quebec, and he was the first to do so. Le Moine’s literary output was immense. He went on to write 40 more books and about 400 articles, in both French and English. He borrowed money from the Society to publish some of them. As well as writing about birds, he published on hunting, fishing, history, botany, French-Canadian folklore, the origins of place names, on French-Canadian customs―and swear-words―and on anything and everything else that interested him. In 1897 he was knighted by Queen Victoria for his literary contributions to Canada.

: Portrait of J.M. Le Moine.
From J.M. Le Moine, Maple Leaves: Canadian history, literature, ornithology (1894).

: “L’Isle aux grues, et les isles avoisinantes à mer haute.”
J.M. LeMoine, Maple Leaves: Canadian History and Quebec Scenery, Third Series (1865).

: Domaine seigneurial de l’Île-aux-Grues, vue avant.
Jean-François Rodrigue (2004). Ministère de la Culture et des Communications.

: Nine different specimen of squirrels (family Sciuridae), including the flying squirrel, shown in their arboreal habitat. Coloured etching by J. Bower after J. Stewart. Wellcome Collection.

: Cruikshank’s sketches: “February, — Cutting Weather — Squally”. George Cruikshank (1839). British Library, RB.23.a.34878

: Herbarium Needlepoint.
Harriet Mary Atkinson (19^th century). LHSQ, Stephens Collection, 2004-179.

: Harriet Le Moine (right) and her daughter Jeannette in the garden at Spencer Grange, 1893.
Collection of Arthur Bosquet, Ottawa.

: Spencer Grange. From The City of Quebec Jubilee Illustrated , 1887. Archives de la ville de Québec, Collection, N010165 iconographique de la Ville de Québec

: Coat of Arms of James M. LeMoine. Library and Archives Canada, 1980-59-1. Manuscript Division, James LeMoine Papers, MG 29, D72.

: McPherson Le Moine, Montréal, QC, 1863.
Photo by William Notman. McCord Museum, I-7339.1

: La langue française au Canada.
Jules-Paul Tardivel (1901).

: Eider Duck.
The last remaining duck in the Society’s ornithology collection, doubtless a donation from Le Moine. LHSQ Collection.

: “Le Cygne du Canada.”
J.M. LeMoine, Chasse et peche au Canada (1887).

: McPherson Lemoyne, Montreal, QC, 1866.William Notman. McCord Museum, I-19387.1

: Hunting waterfowl on a river in January: two men and their dogs are shown in a punt, while another man stands on the riverbank, holding a rifle.
Coloured aquatint by R. G. Reeve after R. B. Davies (1836). Wellcome Collection

: “La Chasse au renard en hiver.”
J.M. Lemoine, Chasse et peche au Canada (1887).

Chapter III: James MacPherson Lemoine

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