The Terrestrial Mammals and Birds of North-east Greenland : 

 Biological Observations. By A. L. V. Manniche. Illus- 

 trated. (Copenhagen : Bianco Lunos.) 



This book, which forms the first part of the fifth volume of 

 the scientific results of MyUus-Erichsen's Danish Expedition 

 to north-eastern Greenland (1906-1908) will be read with great 

 interest by all British ornithologists, on account of the valuable 

 notes on the breeding-habits of many northern birds. Most 

 of these observations were made by the author in the vicinity 

 of Danmarks Havn (Cape Bismarck, lat. 76° 46' N.), where 

 the ship of the expedition lay for about two years. Herr 

 Manniche was fortunate in having in this neighbourhood a 

 comparatively fertile low coast-country, where animal hfe 

 was richer than in any other tract visited by the expedition. 

 Thirty-eight species of birds were noted, and of these eighteen 

 were found nesting, seven others were certainly breeding 

 but no nests were found, and thirteen were more or less 

 accidental visitors. 



The following birds were found breeding : Snow-Bunting, 

 Greenland Falcon, Eider, King-Eider, Ptarmigan, Ringed 

 Plover, Turnstone, Dunlin, Sanderling, Grey Phalarope, 

 Glaucous Gull, Ivory-Gull, Sabine's Gull, Arctic Tern, Buffon's 

 Skua, Black Guillemot, and Red-throated Diver. Those which 

 were certainly breeding, but whose nests were not found, were : 

 Raven, Snowy Owl, Brent Goose, Barnacle-Goose, Knot, 

 Kittiwake, and Fulmar. 



The author discovered a number of Barnacle-Geese in a 

 marsh some ten or fifteen kilometres from the sea, and noticing 

 that they flew off towards a steep and barren mountain (Tre- 

 kroner), he set out in that direction, and arriving there found 

 that these Geese : — 



" Were swarming to and fro along the gigantic mountain wall 

 like bees at their hive, and I heard a continuous humming, sounding 

 like distant talk. . . 



" While some of the Geese would constantly fly along the rocky 

 wall, and sometimes mounted so high in the air that they disappeared 

 on the other side of the rocks, the majority of the birds were sitting 

 in couples upon the shelves of the rocky wall, some of which seemed 

 too narrow to give room for the two birds — much less for a nest. It 

 was only on the steep and absolutely naked middle part of the mountain 

 that the Geese had their quarters, and in no place lower than some 

 200 meters from the base of the chff . As the wall was quite inacessible, 

 I had to content myself by firing some rifle-balls against it in order 

 to frighten the birds and thus form an idea of the size of the colony. 



