Sl'lTZBERGKN AND GRKKM.AM). 59 



When we sailed near tlie ice, they came in great flocks to 

 us in our ship, near the Island oi John Mayen, and were so 

 tame that you could take them up with your hands. They 

 run upon the ice, where I only saw them, and not upon the 

 land, which is the reason that they are called snow-birds. 



They kept with our ship till we catch'd the first lolidle, 

 and after this the other birds frightened them away. 



We fed them with oatmeal, hut when their bellies were 

 full, they would not suffer themselves to be taken up. We 

 put some of them in a cage, and hung them up in the cabin, 

 but thev did not live lonsr. 



We eat some of them, and they were not of an unpleasant 

 taste, but very lean. If I may give my opinion why the 

 bii'ds flie to the ships, I believe that they are stray'd from 

 the island, so that hunger compels them to the ships for 

 food. 



3. Of the Ice-Birds. 



I saw also in the English Haven a very beautiful ice-bird, 

 which was so tame that we might have taken him up almost 

 with our hands ; but we would not go too near him with our 

 gun, for fear that we should shoot him all in pieces, and so 

 spoil his curious feathers; so we missed him, and he flew 

 away. 



The sun shined at that time upon him, which made him 

 look like gold, so as it dazled our eyes almost. He was as 

 big as a small pigeon. I would willingly have delineated 

 him, if we could have catched him. I saw but this one of 

 the kind. 



