Animal Life in Nova Zambia, 153 



Narwal [Monodon Monoceros), and only in the neighbour- 

 hood of ice. Of Dolphins, this sea contains, besides Delphi- 

 nus Leucas, Delphinus Orca (Kossatka), and a small species 

 which the Russians call Morskaja Swinja ; but I have not been 

 able to learn whether this is Delphinus Delphis, or Delph, 

 Phoccena, 



The sea mammalia in Nova Zembla would therefore be ex- 

 actly the same as those known in the Spitz bergen- Greenland 

 sea, if the Greenland whale reached as far. 



On the other hand, Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla are stri- 

 kingly different in their winged inhabitants. The latter coun- 

 try indicates by its birds the vicinity of the continent. It is 

 richer in species, but less interesting to the naturalist ; for 

 many of these species are none other than those which yearly 

 pass through our country, and indeed in part remain with us ; 

 whilst another part of them go as far as Nova Zembla in order 

 to devote themselves to the business of brooding where they 

 may be undisturbed. Of land birds we found the Snowy Owl 

 {Stryx Nyctea), which indeed passes the winter there ; the 

 Snow Bunting [Plectrophanes nivalis), Strepsilas collaris, 

 Tringa maritima, and a Falcon, which was not very rare in 

 Kostin-Schar, but which could not be shot and more closely 

 examined. Earlier accounts also make mention of an Eagle, 

 but the Walrus-catchers whom I questioned said they knew 

 nothing of it. Perhaps however it is the same as the Falcon. 



Among the web-footed birds which pass the season here 

 the Saatgans are so common, at least in the southern island, 

 that the collecting their fallen wing-feathers is an object of 

 profit; the Ice-duck {Anas glacialis) is frequent, and the 

 Singing Swan {Cygnus musicus) not rare. 



According to the assertions of the Walrus-catchers, only one 

 species of goose comes to Nova Zembla, and we in fact got sight 

 of no other than the Saatgans and the Brent Bernicle (Anser 

 torquatus), which latter however does not pass for a goose 

 among the Russians. The Eider duck or Eider goose is also 

 not rare. The web-footed herbivorous birds however collect 

 in much greater numbers upon the island of Kolgujew, which 

 is described as covered with swans and geese, than in Nova 

 Zembla, where the vegetation is too scanty. On this ac- 



