NO. 4.] THE LAST TWO SUMMERS IN THE ICE. 53 



Alle alle, (Lin.) 1766. 



This species was, on the whole, rarely observed during the time that the 

 'Fram' was drifting north-east of Franz Josef Land, in the snmmer of 1895: 

 several specimens, however, were shot between June 21st and July 7th, all 

 in a latitude between 84" 30' and 84° 48' N. Several were also observed 

 in the channels, but the dogs always frightened them away. 



Little auks, on the other hand, appeared in great numbers in the ice 

 north of Spitsbergen, dining the last summer. From the middle of June to 

 the middle of July, 1896, while the 'Fram' was all the time moving in about 

 83° N. Lat., they were found daily in the channels, and at least two hundred 

 were shot for the table. On one day alone — the 23rd June — twenty- 

 nine were shot. 



The first little auk appeared that year on May 28th (83° 56' N. Lat.). 

 They were most numerous on cleai- days, while during fog they were less 

 plentiful. 



The reason of the great difference in the number of birds north of Spits- 

 bergen and north of Franz Josef Land, was doubtless that during the summer 

 of 1895, the 'F'ram' was drifting in closely-packed ice, where there were 

 comparatively few open channels. In 1896, there was more or less water 

 round the ship all the summer, and the temperature, on the Mhole, was higher. 



Dr. Blessing also examined a number of little auks shot about the 

 beginning of July, 1896, in order to learn the proportion of the two sexes. 

 It then appeared that among forty birds, there were only ten females. 



As the ship gradually approached Spitsbergen, the number of this species 

 increased. Mogstad writes in his journal for August 6tb (81 ° 34' N. Lat.) : 

 "I saw from the crow's-nest today, a channel in the west, that was literally 

 full of little auks; a number of them were sitting on the ice, and many 

 were lying asleep on the water. In other places, I .saw flock after flock flying 

 northwards". On the 12th August, he writes: "A countless number of 

 little auks. All day we have been steaming among great flocks of them, 

 consisting chiefly of young birds. This means that we have not far to go 

 before coming to open water". 



