154 Description of Animal Life in Nova Zembla, 



count expeditions are sometimes sent hither to kill and salt 

 these birds. A merchant of Archangel told me that once 

 15^000 geese were killed here in two hunts. 



To the web-footed birds of Nova Zembla belong moreover 

 Uria Troile (in unspeakable numbers), Uria Grylle, Colymbus 

 septentrionalis^ Sterna Hirundo, Larus glaucus, Larus canus, 

 Larus tridactylus, Lestris catarractes, a Procellaria, which we 

 however could not procure. Somateria spectabilis and Larus 

 eburneus are stated to occur only on the northern coast. 

 There also^ according to the descriptions we heard, is probably 

 found Mormon Fratercula and Mergulus Alle. It appeared 

 very singular to me that no one had seen, south of Kostin- 

 Schar, a bird of the family of Alcada, as Alca Pica does not 

 belong to the most northern birds, and even Mormon Frater- 

 cula occurs on the Norwegian coast. 



There is no trace of the whole class of Amphibia in Nova 

 Zembla. The Batrachia and Sauria evidently cannot exist for 

 want of insects. Of fish, the extreme north, even where very 

 rich in individuals, contains generally but very few species, 

 and partly for this reason, because the fresh water does not 

 possess its peculiar forms so numerous in warmer regions, but 

 only the fish that ascend from the sea at certain periods. 

 Thus Scoresby says of Spitzbergen and of the neighbouring 

 sea, that it has but four kinds offish. My catalogue of the fish 

 of Nova Zembla contains ten, all of which, with the exception 

 of the Omul {Salmo Omal, Pall.), which is said to occur on the 

 east coast, Ave have ourselves seen. Among these the most 

 important is the Alpine trout (Golez — Salmo alpimis, Fabr.), 

 which ascends in autumn into the mountain lakes, and in 

 many years is caught in immense quantities and exported to 

 distant countries. All the other fish are inconsiderable or of 

 no value for commerce, and even in the oeconomy of nature 

 only Gadus Saida, Sep., and Cyclopterus Liparis are of any im- 

 portance. 



