Excursion to the North of Norway. 237 



ttree distinct forms of this bird — the white-breasted^ the 

 black with dark brown tinge, and a mouse-coloured or light 

 sooty form. On the 10th w^e observed two light-breasted 

 birds breeding, and also a sooty male with golden- coloured 

 cheeks and a black female. We took the first eggs on the 

 13th June. 



-u Black-throated Diver [Colymbus arcticus). Wherever 

 there is a small island on a lake and no boat on that lake, a 

 nest of this bird may be safely counted on in the Arctic 

 Circle. All our eggs were taken by using a folding india- 

 rubber boat. 



-^- Red-throated Diver {Colymbus septentrionalis) . Very 

 common at all the places we visited, especially in the 

 Porsanger. 



^ Razorbill {AIca torda) and Guillemot [Lomvia troile). 

 Very numerous at Hjemso. 



y Black Guillemot (?7na grylle). We saw this bird con- 

 stantly all up the coast, and took several nests in the 

 Porsanger. 



.\^ Puffin {Fratercula arctica) . A large colony at Hjemso. 



The result of our expedition was the acquisition of eggs 

 of forty-seven species. 



A few hints may be of service to ornithologists who propose 

 to visit Norway. All the best breeding-places of sea-birds 

 are as carefully preserved as our Grouse-moors are, but with 

 letters of introduction permission can generally be obtained 

 to visit them. On all the islands we visited we found the 

 best nesting-ground at the south end, and, speaking generally, 

 the land at the mouth of the fjord is useless. The end 

 further from the sea has the most vegetation and bird-life. 

 The proprietors object to the eggs being blown on the 

 breeding-grounds, because, they say, it causes the birds to 

 cease to breed there. They collect the first and second 

 layings of the Gulls for eating, and allow the third to be 

 hatched. If it is desired to shoot specimens, ermission 



