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A. L. V. Manniche. 



proved, that the fox had ah-eady eaten the shot youngster. By 

 means of a shot I scared away the fox for a while ; he disappeared 

 amongst the rocks on Baadskæret, but returned after a quarter 

 of an hour and was very active against the Eiders. In the night 

 the temperature sank to — 15° and next morning when I visited 

 the Eiders for the third time, they were swimming in an opening, 

 which was now hardly 2 D m. in extent. The fox still kept guard 

 on the edge of the ice. Having examined the strength of the ice, I 

 secured one of the Eiders, the skin of which is brought home, and 

 I succeeded in making the others take to their wings by throwing 

 stones into the opening. With rather rapid but tremulous and low 

 flight they made for the field-ice, where they disappeared. Open 

 water was not to be seen now. 



September 15*^ 1907 I observed in an opening in the ice in the 

 Stormbugt a flock of Eiders, which numbered at least some 50 

 birds. They were all in dark plumage and I think they were all 

 S. mollissima. I judged them to be young birds hatched farther 

 north, migrating southwards. 



By my last visit to Renskæret July 22^^ 1908 13 Eiders — 8 

 Drakes and 5 Ducks — were lying between the icebergs close to 

 the shore. One of the males was pied, the others in full nuptial 

 plumage. I also observed some breeding females on this island. 



In the stomachs of the Eiders I principally found remnants of 

 shells. 



For the zoological museum in Copenhagen were collected the 

 skins of 5 Eiders and 4 eggs. 



The following measurements have been taken: 



' The measurements have been taken from the hindmost edge of the nostril to 

 the tip of the bill. This different mode of measuring has been undertaken as 

 the length of the base is very variable. 



