Avifauna of Franz Josef Land. 261 



It is somewhat surprising that this bird, which is one 

 of the commonest^ most widely-distributed^ and well-known 

 species inhabiting the Northern Regions, should have 

 hitherto remained unnoticed in Franz Josef Land, to the 

 fauna of which it is now added for the first time. 



1 am strongly of opinion, however, that this bird is the 

 " Iceland Knot " of Payer (op. cit. ii. p. 91) ; the ''Brown 

 Snipe," or Knot, of the first ' Eira ' Expedition (Feilden, 

 t. c. p. 210) ; and the " Gallinago sp. inc. " of Dr. Neale's 

 account (P. Z. S. 1882, p. 654) of the birds of the 2nd ' Eira ' 

 Expedition. It is not necessary to say more here in this 

 connection, for the subject has already been discussed under 

 Gallinago sp. inc. and Tringa canutus. 



The chicks of the Purple Sandpiper obtained by Mr. Bruce 

 were captured on the 4th and the 27tli of July respectively. 

 The first caught of these little birds appears to be only a day 

 or two old ; while the last obtained, though a mere chick, is 

 clad partly in down and partly in sprouting feathers, and 

 already shows the purple gloss on its dorsal plumage from 

 which this species takes its popular name. 



[I saw a number of Purple Sandpipers during July, 

 August, and September 1896; and Mr. Wilton saw the first 

 for the year on the 29th of May. On the 5th of June one 

 came on the snow right up to the window-pane at Elmwood. 

 Late in June a nest with eggs was found, and in July I 

 captured, two young ones. The first caught was with its parent, 

 which tried to lure me away ; the older bird was one of four, 

 also accompanied by the mother. — W. S. B.] 



11. Calidrts arenaria (Linn.). 



Neale, P. Z. S. 1882, pp. 653-654. 



Dr. Neale includes this species in his list of birds observed 

 during Mr. Leigh Smith's second expedition; and he tells 

 us that on the lowlands [at Cape Flora] the Snow-Bunting 

 and the Sanderling were seen, but no nests were found. 



The Sanderling does not appear to have come under the 

 notice of the other explorers who have visited Franz Josef 

 Land, and its occurrence there is doubtful. It has been 



