228 DOVEKTE SHOT. [CHAP.V, 



this latter disunion, I could not but remark how 

 quickly the young ice was formed on the ex* 

 posed surface of water, on which thechrystals might 

 actually be seen darting and glancing till they 

 formed a continuous sheet. It happened that a 

 solitary Dovekie had found in its wanderings 

 the now circumscribed hole of water, which had 

 been created the evening before, and gladly 

 availed itself of this relief from its wearied flight, 

 unconscious of the dangerous neighbours who 

 observed it. Our keen sportsman, Mr. Gore, 

 soon brought it triumphantly on board, where of 

 course it underwent a careful scrutiny. Besides 

 the two white spaces in the wings, the breast 

 and under part were entirely white, as were the 

 whole of the neck and back except three patches 

 of a grey or speckled colour where the black and 

 white plumage were intermixed. Though the 

 maw was quite empty, thebird was tolerably plump. 

 From the circumstance of its coming so far from 

 land, it was inferred that there could not be 

 much, if any, open water in that direction; yet 

 in a couple of hours, three or four lanes became 

 suddenly visible, in one of which, at the edge of 

 the floe, the ice was drifting past us to the S. S. E. 

 Sunday had been kept on all occasions, when 

 the duty allowed of it, as a day of entire rest ; 

 but the necessity of clearing away the ice and 

 snow compelled for once a deviation from our 



14 



