14 A. L. V. Manniche. 



The sea-gulls (Laras glaucus) which have arrived about the 

 middle of May, seek their food especially in the above mentioned 

 tide water cracks. Thanks to their high soaring and sharp sight 

 the sea-gulls also quickly found their way to seal carcasses and the 

 like food, just as they are seen frequently at this season intruding 

 on the hunting polar bear. 



The barnacle goose (Bernicla leucopsis) arrives in the last half 

 of the month and immediately seeks the snowless, richly grown 

 spots in the interior of the country. The ptarmigans are seen in 

 pairs, and in fine weather the male snow-buntings which have 

 changed colour, merrily sing outside the nesting places. Large flocks 

 of snow-buntings which have not quite got their summer plumage 

 are strolling about in the fens and along the sunny mountain slopes. 

 In rough weather the birds which have already paired, join these 

 flocks. The gyrfalcon already breeds in May, and as far as I was 

 able to judge, the raven has young ones. On one of the very last 

 days of the month in 1908 all the small waders arrived — with ex- 

 ception of Phalaropiis fulicarius which makes its appearance some- 

 what later — and through their merry melodies and restless stirring 

 about they at once gave the landscape a wonderfully cheering cha- 

 racter. Directly after their arrival the small waders sought their 

 food exclusively on the snowless spots in the interior. At this time 

 I never saw them quite near the coast, no chance of acquiring any 

 food being offered them here moreover. While Ægialitis hiaticula 

 and to a certain extent Tringa canutus, Calidris arenaria and Strep- 

 silas interpres generally sought stony and sandy, bare spots in the 

 neighbourhood of bogs and fens, Tringa alpina was nearly always 

 to be found near those moist parts of the bog itself which had been 

 produced by the warmth of the sun or by irrigation of a little melt 

 water. During snow-squalls, in mist or strong wind the waders 

 always assembled, strolling round in the territory in a state of 

 hunger and misery, often in company with large flocks of snow- 

 buntings. 



In the first days after the arrival of the small waders, a prin- 

 cipal part of their food was made up by the fruits and seed of 

 last year's plants which protruded above the snow. Green germs 

 and half developed leaves I also found in the stomachs of the 

 wading-birds which I examined. 



A single Lestris longicauda might appear towards the end of 

 May, and immediately it began the pursuit of lemmings on the old, 

 well-known localities. 



In the first week of June the snow melting was obvious nearly 

 everywhere. Like an outspread panther hide the territory near 



