52 COLLETT AND NANSEN. ACCOUNT OF THE BIRDS. [NORW. POL. EXP. 



Blessing writes in his journal for June 12th (83 N. Lat): "Bird-shooting 

 goes on busily every day. Black guillemots and little auks are the birds 

 most shot, both because there are most of them, and because they are the 

 best for eating". 



In order to learn which of the two sexes was most numerously repre- 

 sented in these legions, Dr. Blessing examined a number of specimens shot 

 at the end of June and the beginning of July. It then appeared that out of 

 forty individuals, twenty-six were males and fourteen females. In all the 

 females, the ovaries were not fully developed, the eggs being no larger than 

 little grains, and only in one specimen the size of small peas. The testes 

 of the males were also quite small, and thus all the specimens were probably 

 young and incapable of reproduction. 



The first Spitsbergen guillemot of the year was observed as early as 

 the 13th May, (in 83 57' N. Lat.), and on the 29th, a specimen was shot, 

 being the first bird killed that year. 



All the specimens observed were in their normal summer plumage. 



Vria lonwia, (Pall.) 1811. 



While Cepphus mandti and Alle alle occurred in great numbers in the 

 open channels north of Spitsbergen in the summer of 1896, Uria lomvia and 

 Fratercula arctica were comparatively rare there, only a few specimens of 

 each of the last two species having been observed from the 'Fram'. 



Of Brtinnich's guillemot, for instance, scarcely more than a dozen speci- 

 mens were seen altogether. The first was seen flying northwards past the 

 ship, on June 19th (82 55' N. Lat.); and on June 23rd, the first specimen 

 was shot (among the little auks occurring that day in great numbers). Finally, 

 three more were shot on the 12th and 13th July (83 11' N. Lat.). 



Fratercula arctica glacialis, (Leach) 1821. 



A single specimen was observed above Spitsbergen, flying northwards 

 along a channel, on July 12th, 1896 (83 11' N. Lat.). Mogstad writes in 

 his journal, that for several days there had been few birds in the channel, but 

 on the above-mentioned day a number of birds made their appearance, especially 

 black guillemots and little auks, and a pair of Brunnich's guillemots were shot. 



No other specimens were observed in the ice. 



