BIEDS OF SPITZBEKaEN. 439 



The list of the birds of Greenland is "by Dr. J. Keinhardt, 

 of Copenhagen, 1860. 



THE ATI FAUNA OF SPITZBEEGKEff. 

 Birds which are indigenous to, or yearly breed on Spitsbergen. 



1. The Snow Bunting. Is the only song bird on Spitzber- 

 gen. Just as I always fancied in Lapland, Malmgren says that 

 the snow bunting builds its nest generally under a large flat 

 stone ; and as I have seen old females of both this and the 

 shore lark come out of such places, I am confident both breed 

 in the same manner, doubtless to guard their nest from the 

 Arctic fox. 



2. The Ptarmigan. L. Alpina, var. hyperborea. He 

 mentions seeing them in full winter dress on June 4th, and 

 strong flying young on August 22nd. Fancies it is diffe- 

 rent from the Scandinavian ptarmigan, but cannot say how 

 far it is identical with the Greenland bird (L. Reinhardti) . I 

 believe, however, most naturalists consider we have only one 

 true type of ptarmigan, subject to some climatic changes. 



3. The King Dotterel. 



4. The Purple Sandpiper. Yery common. 



5. The Grey Phalar ope. Not rare. 



6. The Arctic Tern. Yery common. 



7. The Ivory Gull. Is common on the coasts, but always 

 in the vicinity of the drift ice. Never sits on the water like 

 the other gulls, but always on the edge of the drift. On the 

 7th June, 1861, he discovered, on the north coast of Mur- 

 chison's Bay, 80 north, a quantity of ivory gulls which had 

 taken up their residence on the side of a chalky cliff some 

 hundred feet high, in company with kittiwakes and glaucous 

 gulls. The last occupied the higher zone of the rock. The 

 ivory gulls, on the contrary, occupied the ledges and clefts 

 from fifty to one hundred feet high. He could distinctly see 

 the old birds sitting on their nests, which, however, he could 

 not reach. On the 30th July he went again, and, by the 

 help of two men and ropes, managed to reach two nests, 

 each of which contained one egg. The nest was carelessly 



