428 Zoological Society : — 



ness, I am able to declare that the species is Anser brachyrhynchus, 

 since I saw and examined two examples in his possession. Of the 

 first, though, I regret to say, unsuccessful in finding out its haunts, 

 I likewise had the pleasure of being shown by Mr. Malmgren an 

 adult male, killed but a few days previously, and still unskinned. 

 Its plumage, however, presented scarcely any trace of the great vernal 

 change which takes place in this group of birds ; and, except that I 

 am confident that the Ptarmigan of Spitsbergen is distinct from that 

 of continental Europe and Britain, I hardly like to form an opinion 

 respecting its specific distinctness from the Ptarmigan of Iceland, 

 Greenland, and Labrador, which I am inclined to consider as forming 

 but one species, to which the name L. rupestris, being the oldest, 

 should probably be applied. 



After passing an agreeable week in Ice Fjord, and being joined 

 by our Norwegian consort, we returned southwards, and proceeded 

 towards the most western of the Thousand Islands. Here some of 

 our party were transhipped to go to the eastward in the jcegt in 

 search of Walruses, while the ' Sultana ' made another attempt to 

 ascend the Stor Fjord ; but, finding the ice at a distance of about 

 twenty miles above the bight still unmoved, she was compelled to 

 retrace her course, and await the return of the jcegt party off the 

 Thousand Islands. In Stor Fjord we made the acquaintance of the 

 third species of Seal known in Spitsbergen, the very widely distri- 

 buted Pagophilus groenlandicus of Dr. Gray's Catalogue. This animal 

 is known to the frequenters of the coast as the " Jan-Mayen Kobbe" 

 and " Svart-side ; " but most generally as the "Springer," from its 

 lively actions in the water. It is of a sociable disposition, and we saw 

 it in herds not less than fifty in number. These were very fond of 

 swimming in line, their heads alone above water, engaged in a game 

 of " follow-my-leader ;" for on the first Seal making a roll over, or 

 a spring into the air, each Seal of the whole procession, on arriving 

 at the same spot, did the like, and exactly in the same manner. 

 While viewing this singular proceeding (and I had many opportuni- 

 ties of doing so), I could not but be struck with the plausibility of 

 one of the suggested explanations of the appearance which has ob- 

 tained so wide-spread a notoriety under the name of the " Great Sea 

 Serpent." If any rule of the game in which Pagophilus groenlandi- 

 cus loves to indulge ever would permit the leading Seal to swim (say) 

 one-third out of water, as I have often seen Phoca barbata do, I 

 could quite understand any person, not an unromantic naturalist, on 

 witnessing for the first time such a sight as I have tried to describe, 

 honestly believing that the mythical monster was actually before his 

 eyes. I never had the opportunity of closely examining a "Springer;" 

 but one learned immediately to distinguish this species from the 

 other two I have mentioned : not only its wonderful activity in the 

 water, but its elongated head (even when the size of its body, just 

 about intermediate between P. barbata and Callocephalus fcetidus, 

 was not to be ascertained) was quite sufficient for that purpose. 

 This species resorts in great numbers to the ice in the neighbourhood 

 of Jan Mayen, whence one of its common names ; and in former 



