90 Proceedinys of the Royal Physical Society. 



At the conclusion of thi.s paper a comparison will be insti- 

 tuted between the bird-life of this region, which is the most 

 northerly — lying, as it does, between 80° and 82° 30' N. 

 latitude — and that of Novaya Zemlya and Spitzbergen. 



[?] LiNOTA sp. inc. 



Neale, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1882, p. 654. 



Dr Neale remarks that he is uncertain about this bird. 

 No specimens were obtained, but some old whaling hands 

 among the crew of the " Eira " called certain birds on the 

 land by this name. 



Mr Bruce informs me that he did not see any Linnet-like 

 bird during his residence in Franz Josef Land. The claim 

 of this Linota to be included in the avifauna of Franz Josef 

 Land, resting on the evidence it does, must therefore be 

 regarded as unsatisfactory, and requiring confirmation. 



Linota holhoelli has, however, long been known as an 

 inhabitant of Spitzbergen, and breeds there ; but as yet no 

 species of Linota has been discovered in Novaya Zemlya. 

 Heuglin {Ihis, 1872, p. 65) believes he saw a ''Linaria " on 

 Waigats. Mr H. J. Pearson, however, saw Linnets on 

 Waigats, and obtained adult Linota linctria, with nest and 

 eggs, at Habarova (Lhis, 1898, p. 192). 



1. *Plectrophenax nivalis (Linn.). 



Payer, op, cit., ii. p. 91; Feilden, t. c, p. 209; Neale, Pioc. Zool. Soc, 

 1882, pp. 653, 654; Nansen, op. cit., i. p. 308. 



Mr Bruce's collection contains adults, young, and a nest 

 of the Snow Bunting, which is quite common as a breeding- 

 bird around Cape Flora. 



The Snow Bunting has come under the notice of all the 

 explorers of Franz Josef Land, where it is widely distributed, 

 for Dr Nansen observed the bird at Torup Island, in latitude 

 81° 30', in August 1895. 



[The Snow Bunting remained plentifully with us in the 

 autumn of 1896 until the 14th of October, and the last was 

 seen on the 30th. Thus this bird was the last species, by 

 eight days, to remain with us. The sun disappeared about 

 the 27th. The first seen in the spring of 1897 was on the 



