Birds of Spitsbergen. 587 



a duck and drake were shot right and left by Lieut. Cherm- 

 side, but only the duck was secured." 



Personally, I saw but one individual of this species — a duck 

 sitting out of shot among a lot of Common Eiders on the 

 beach of Losh Island Bay on July 27th. I tried to stalk her, 

 but she left the Eiders, dropped into the water, and swam 

 rapidly off. 



— 11. Lagopus hemileucurus, Gould. Ptarmigan. 



I notice that three writers, viz. Nordenskiold (Voy. ' Vega,' 

 i. p. 130) and Messrs. Evans and Sturge (Ibis, 1859, p. 169), 

 have spoken of this bird as if it were more abundant on Spits- 

 bergen than I found it. I should describe it as very thinly 

 scattered over the country. I have walked for many days 

 continuously high up on the bluffs, which form its favourite 

 resort, without seeing a single individual. In the beginning 

 of June, on our first landing, a white male bird was shot, 

 but thereafter I did not see one which was not in so advanced 

 a state of moult that the greatest possible care in skinning 

 was necessary. It is, however, right to add that I left on 

 Aug. 18th, before these birds would have completed their 

 winter moult. The crop of a male bird I shot on the way 

 to Sassendal on June 23rd was filled with grass-seeds. 



All the examples what I met with were very tame. This 

 bird has one habit which is, I think, worth noticing. When 

 disturbed on a lower level it will fly straight off to the hill- 

 side, and there it at first behaves in a restless manner, flying a 

 short distance from point to point, and each time on settling 

 turning itself round, much as a male pigeon does when 

 courting. It then flies a few yards, settles again, and 

 turns round. Finally, after it has repeated this performance 

 some half a dozen times or so, it settles and remains abso- 

 lutely still, not even moving its head. I saw several birds 

 do this, and though I watched them through a strong glass 

 for many minutes, I never could detect the smallest move- 

 ment : they looked like bits of light-coloured rock. After 

 they have taken this motionless attitude they do not move 

 again, in my experience, so long as you are in sight — 

 unless, of course, you deliberately go and put them up. 



