1922.] Birds of Spitsbergen and Bear Island. 175 



breeding records are those from the Stor-Oen, off the east 

 coast of North-east Land, whore hirge numbers were found 

 nesting in August 1887 ; on White Island (Giles Land), 

 also apparently a large colony; and Abel Island, Smaller 

 colonies hav^e also been reported from Jena Island, Cape 

 Hammerfest, Cape Weissenfels (Swedish Foreland), and 

 King Charles Land. Malmgreu reported a colony in July 

 1861 in Murchison Bay, apparently since deserted, and 

 Eaton speaks o£ nests (not examined) at Wijde Bay and 

 Cape Octker. As this species depends to a great extent for its 

 food on the presence of ice, its breeding-grounds will always 

 be difficult to reach till late in the season, and the presence 

 of occasional birds with incubation patches in the height of 

 the nesting season is no proof of breeding in that district. 

 Our exploring party met with one bird flying up the 

 Oxford Glacier, on 16 ^Vugust, about 20 miles from the 

 sea in either direction, and another was seen two days later. 

 Evidently they fly across from the east side (Stor Fjord and 

 Olga Strait) to the west side (Bell Sound, Ice Fjord, Red 

 Bay, Liefde Bay, etc.). 



50. Stercorarius skua skua (Briinn.). Great Skua. 



One obtained in 1898, now in Gottingen University 

 Museum. Romer and Schaudinn report a pair seen on 

 Sweilish Foreland in 1898, and Koenig's expedition observed 

 single birds in Van Keulen Bay (23 June, 1907) and Kings 

 Bay {2& June). 



51. Stercorarius poinariuus (Temm.). Pomatorhine 

 Skua. 



Recorded from Bear Island and its neighbourhood on 

 several occasions, but there is no proof of breeding there. 

 On Spitsljergen it has occurred irregularly, occasionally in 

 considerable numbers, as in August 1889 when Walter met 

 with flocks of 5 to 15 off Barents Land. Possibly it may 

 breed, but at present we have no direct evidence. Huxley 

 records a pair of Skuas, apparently of this species, seen on 

 8 July in Foreland Sound. 



