VOYAGE TO SPITSBERGEN. 83 



This species is about twice the size of the com- 

 mon domesticated duck, and its body is covered 

 over with a thick coat of valuable down. 



Colymbus glacialis, or Great Northern Diver. 



Head and neck black ; throat and hind part of 

 the neck marked with a semilunar spot of white, 

 and with white streaks, varied with white spots ; 

 upper part of the body and wings black, varied 

 with white spots ; tail duskish ; legs black. Some 

 of them are found three feet five inches long, and 

 weigh sixteen lbs. 



It makes its nest in the most remote parts of 

 the North, in the islets of fresh water lakes. Each 

 pair possesses a lake. Its sight is keen, flies well, 

 and, darting obliquely, drops safely into its nest. 

 When pursued, it saves itself by diving ; but when 

 it has young ones, it does not make its escape, but 

 strives to beat off its enemy with its bill. 



Emberiza nivalis, or Snow Bunting, is found 

 in vast numbers at Spitzbergen, and as it is grami- 

 nivorous, its frequenting a country so ill provided 

 with vegetables, has justly been regarded as a very 

 surprising phenomenon. It is not a large bird, 

 and its colour varies with the season of the year. 



As it does not seem necessarv to notice the few 

 insects which belong to Spitzbergen, some short 

 account of its discovery is all that now remains for 

 us to treat of regarding it. 



