VOYAGE TO SPITZJBERGEN. 81 



seas of Spitzbergen, especially in the whale-fishing 

 season. — Bill yellow and strong; neck, tail, and 

 under part of the body, white ; back, and coverts 

 of the wings, ash ; primaries dusky ; legs straw- 

 colour. 



The bird is carnivorous, and feeds on the blub?- 

 ber of cetaceous fish, and on other dead carcasses 

 floating in the sea. They are often seen follow- 

 ing whales, especially wounded ones, on whom 

 they pounce at every time of their rising to 

 breathe, and tear the blubber from their back. 

 As soon as the carcass of a whale is sent adrift 

 after the blubber is taken off', it is covered over 

 with these voracious birds, who then make a loud 

 worrying noise. When a fish is alongside the 

 ship, they surround it in vast numbers, and are 

 so eager of their prey, that they suffer themselves 

 to be caught with the hand, and may be knocked 

 down easily by those on the whale, or in the 

 boats. 



Though extremely fetid, the Greenlanders ac- 

 count the flesh of the Mallemukke good food, and 

 eat it either raw or dressed. The fat they burn 

 in lamps. 



When caught, the Mallemukke not only, at- 

 tacks with its bill, but spurts the blubber out of 

 its mouth and nostrils in the face of its captor, 



e 5, 



