442 Prof. R. Collett on a 



close to^ or only a short way above, high-water mark, on 

 low-lying ground like L. canus, L. fuscus, &c., and not in the 

 cliffs. Capt. Johannesen estimated the number of nests at 

 from 100 to 150; they were somewhat apart, at distances 

 varying from two to four yards. 



As previously mentioned, on the 8th of August the eggs 

 bad been hatched in most of the nests ; only in about a 

 fourth of them were eggs still to be found. There were one 

 or two eggs or young but never more in a nest. On being 

 examined at Tromso it was found that all the 19 eggs con- 

 tained almost fully developed young chicks. Many of the 

 nests contained young of various ages, whilst others were 

 already empty. Several black-spotted young, capable of 

 flight were seen, likewise several young birds of the previous 

 year's brood remained on the breeding-ground. 



The nest is composed chiefly of green moss, which forms 

 about nine tenths of its mass : the rest consists of small 

 splinters of drift-wood, a few feathers, single stalks and leaves 

 of algse, with one or two particles of lichen. No trace of 

 straw is to be found ; a couple of pebbles may possibly have 

 appertained to the under-layer of the nest. The mosses occur 

 in pieces the size of a walnut, or less, and have evidently been 

 plucked in a fresh state from a dry subsoil, either on rocks 

 or gravelly places. They belong to the following species: — 

 Ceratodon purpureus, Brid., Wehera cruda, Schimp., Cato- 

 scapium nigritum, Brid., Racomitrium lanuginosum, Brid. 

 (with short teeth, not ciliiie, in the margin of the leaves 

 behind the tip), Hypnum uncinatum, Hed., and var. gra- 

 cillimum, Bergg., Hypnum turgescens, Schimp., and Ortho- 

 thecium strictum, Lor. The mosses are all sterile. Several 

 of the splinters of drift-wood were found of a length of about 

 100 millim. Under the microscope they all proved to be of 

 conifers, probably Larch, drifted from the Siberian rivers. 

 Some were very old, others, however, being still hard, and 

 possessing a fresh appearance. The feathers, of which only 

 a few were found, are snowy white, and have probably fallen 

 fi'om the brooding bird. Some portions of the algae were 

 dry crumpled leaves and stalks of seaweed. Only a few bits 



