168 Messrs. Evans and Sturge on the 



hardly distinguishable from those of the Great Black-backed 

 Gull {Larus marinus, L.), which bird, however, has never, we 

 believe, been found in Spitzbergen, though abundant enough 

 even in the north of Norway. The specimen so faithfully repre- 

 sented by W. C, Hewitson in the last edition of his 'Eggs of 

 British Birds^ (pi. 141. fig. 2), was obtained by us on this occa- 

 sion. After remaining a short time on this island, we rowed to 

 a similar, but much larger one, not far off, where there at first 

 seemed a probability of meeting with a White Bear {Ursus mari- 

 thnus, L.) ; but the ice still connecting it with the main land, 

 our men pronounced it useless to look for one there, — the only 

 chance of finding them being, that the ice, on breaking up, 

 often leaves them isolated, when they become easy victims. 

 The tracks of Arctic Foxes {Canis lagopus, L.) were very nume- 

 rous ; and one, a Blue one, was seen at a great distance. On 

 this island we did not find a single nest or egg, the instinct of 

 the birds teaching them that its being still united to the main 

 land would render them liable to the depredations of Bears and 

 Foxes. 



Returning to our vessel, we proceeded on our voyage north- 

 ward, but were prevented by ice from entering either Bell Sound 

 or Horn Sound, and by fog from having more than an occasional 

 glimpse of the land. Nearly the only birds which showed them- 

 selves were Fulmars [Procellaria glacialis, L.). A Seal, which 

 we killed and skinned, on being thrown overboard attracted a 

 large flock of these birds, who were at first very timid, only 

 skimming over the carcase, and settling on the water at some 

 distance from it to j-econnoitre ; but at last one courageously 

 ventured to alight on it, and he would have made a good meal 

 had not his feast been soon disturbed by others following his 

 example. No end of battles then ensued ; and as we left them 

 far in our wake, they had assembled in a vast crowd. Near 

 Horn Soimd we met with immense numbers of Briinnich's Guil- 

 lemots {Uriel hrunnichii) and Little Auks [Arctica alle, Gray), 

 which flew about in large flocks, settling close round the vessel, 

 playing and diving in all directions, seeming quite regardless of 

 our presence, and keeping up a shrill chattering. Fulmars, too, 

 were very abundant, skimming swiftly over the water like a 



