1922.] Birch of Spitsbergen and Bear Island. 167 



only on the islands, but also on the adjoining mainland, and 

 a pair at Kings Bay. 



21. Oidemia nigra nigra (L,). Common Scoter. 



First recorded from 13ear Island in 1907 by Koenig and 

 again in 1908. In June 1921 we met with pairs on the 

 little tarns in the hills and also on the lagoons in the low 

 ground. They had evidently not yet begun to nest, but pro- 

 bably breed in small numbers here and also in the watery 

 northern flats. In Spitsbergen the only definite record is 

 from Recherche Bar, where Koenig found a nest with 6 eo-grs 

 on 15 July, 1905. 



25. Somateria mollissima borealis (Brehm). Northern 

 Eider. 



Resident on Bear Island, but only in small numbers, 

 absent only when the bays are frozen up in winter. Much 

 commoner in Spitsbergen, breeding in great numbers on the 

 numerous Eider holms, especially Dun Islands, Anser 

 Islands, Edinburgh Islands, Kings Bay, Cloven Cliff, and 

 the islands in Liefde Bay. Also numerous on Moffen Island. 

 Enormous numbers of eggs are systematically taken for 

 food and the down collected for the Norwegian market. 

 Where undisturbed, large clutches were met with, (j or 7 

 being normal and 8, 9, and once 10 being met with. A nest 

 with 13 eggs was probably due to two females laying 

 toiiether. 



2G. Somateria spectabilis (L.). King Eider. 



Frequently recorded from Bear Island, but chiefly im- 

 mature birds. No evidence of breeding here. In Spits- 

 bergen the King Eider has been recorded from many points 

 on the west coast and Ice Fjord, but the only evidence of 

 breeding comes from Axel Island (?) (Nordenskiold), the 

 swamps at the head of Advent Bay where Koenig obtained 

 two incomplete clutches in July 1907, and a holm off the 

 south-west of Prince Charles Foreland, where Dreyer obtained 

 a clutch in 1882. We met with a flock of about 30 males in 

 the Foreland Sound on 30 June, 1921, and single males 



