Birds of Spitsbergen. 599 



stillness. This beautiful bird has a pretty habit of dipping 

 its bill into the water at frequent intervals : not that it 

 drinks or eats when so doing, for it does not ; I think it is 

 just a little wanton trick, out of sheer happiness. 



It may be worth mentioning that the Guillemots use a 

 foot when turning suddenly in the air, as a scull is used in 

 " backing water.^^ I daresay other birds do the same (I think 

 I have noticed it in the Mallard, and I ana sure I have in the 

 Eazorbill) ; but the Tystie, with its bright-coloured legs and 

 confiding habits, offers so good a chance of observation that 

 one may remark the habit a hundred times a day. 



-t'27. Mergulus ALLE (Liuu.) . Little Auk. 



Mr. Pike noticed Little Auks on their arrival in Dane's Gat 

 for the first time on March 28tli, and the latest date on which 

 he observed them was October 13th. I obtained the young 

 in Wijde Bay on August 9th, but these were then at least a 

 fortnight old. Many of the Little Auks during nesting-time 

 ajjpeared to have the mumps ; but examination showed that 

 this was due to a collection of food, chiefly shrimps (or Gam- 

 marus), which the bird retained in its mouth, no doubt for its 

 young. These birds breed as far inland as the Tystie. They 

 even nest high up on the glacier-set Horn Mountain. As 

 Garwood and I were descending from our climb of this peak 

 on August 17th, while still at about 3000 feet, a single Little 

 Auk — apparently the last left — flew round and round just 

 below us as we looked down over an arete, evidently very 

 anxious for its young. As it flew it made a twittering noise. 

 On the sea it frequently in fine weather makes " a noise like 

 a dabchick,'' as I find in my notes. I may mention, though 

 I cannot explain the fact, that round the freshwater lakes 

 where the Red-throated Divers bred, at the Flower Garden, 

 Cape Wijk, I found many perfect skeletons of Little Auks. 



— 28. Fratercula glacialis (Leach). Northern Puffin. 



The Northern Puffin has been recorded from as far north 

 as Walden Island (Eaton, Zool. 1874, p. 3819). I did not 

 actually see it there, though I saw several on the sea between 

 Verlegen Point and Walden Island. It is generally but 



