Birds of Spitsbergen. 591 



the distinction of being tlic first, as I believe, to record tlie 

 Sandcrling from Spitsbergen. Mr. Abel Cliapman is sponsor 

 for the identification of the species, as the following note 

 shows : — 



" Ang. 21st, Amsterdam Island. Shot a Sanderling out 

 of a flight of three [skin in my possession. — A. C.].''' 



It is certainly not a little remarkable that this bird, 

 which nests up to 82° 33' in Smith Sound, and whose 

 known range includes Novaya Zemlya, should hitherto never 

 have been even hinted at as observed by any naturalist in 

 Spitsbergen. 



By the end of August these birds were already in large 

 fiocks of old and young. 



17. Sterna macrura, Naum. Arctic Tern. 



Upon Spitsbergen this species is abundant and, so far as 

 my observations go, generally distributed. But I never came 

 upon any place where these birds were nesting in large 

 colonies. Three pairs at the most would occupy one ])art of 

 a beach, and their nests would be far apart; then at the 

 distance of a mile or so you might come upon a pair or two 

 more. Thus there were five pairs in all nesting on the 

 southern beaches of Advent Bay. One of these pairs had a 

 nest containing a single egg on June 20tli, A pair of 

 Arctic Terns were for several days very anxious to nest 

 within a few paces of our large group of tents, and were little 

 disturbed by passers, only flying off for a few yards and then 

 retuining to the spot, wliere they made many false nests. 

 The Arctic Tern, when preparing its nest, works with both 

 the shoulders, using its feet only as a pivot. After turning 

 round and scooping thus, it rests for a little without leaving 

 the nest, and employs the time in picking with its bill at the 

 ground near. On moving the bird after one of these resting- 

 spclls, I have found little stones and bits of shells in the 

 bottom of the nest. I had formerly supposed that these and 

 the small bits of seaweed occasionally seen in a Tern's nest 

 were there by chance, but I am not sure now that they are 

 not put there by deliberate act. 



I do not think that the Skuas often succeed in robbing an 



