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like our rabbits and hares have, probably to repel the great cold. The ptarmigans Mr. Abel 

 Chapman shot in Spitzbergen, which he kindly asked me to see (though I had no others 

 to compare them with), appeared to be furnished with very much stronger beaks than the 

 common species, and I think their feet were much stronger, probably to enable them to scratch 

 away the frozen snow to get at their scanty fare, and their stronger beaks would enable them to get 

 this from the icy rocks on which it grows ; the two skins he had were those of cocks, and 

 they certainly appeared larger altogether than the ordinary ptarmigan, and had very large tail 

 feathers ; they were in their grey or summer plumage. If the hares could think, what a life 

 they must lead, apparently scarcely able to get a bite to eat, and in daily expectation of a merciless 

 fury in the shape of a snowy owl eating them up ; Nature no doubt has excused them having 

 any such anxiety. Even the leviathan whale by what means does it prevent itself being over- 

 taken and frozen in beneath the ice? In such a case, if it could not get again to open water 

 so as to breathe, I presume it would be drowned. 



I dare say many persons have observed the dislike mallards, as well as other wild fowl, 

 have to walk about amongst snow, yet they never seem to feel uncomfortable in water however 

 severe frost may be why their feet should suffer from the cold snow, and not apparently when 

 on the ice, seems curious. Mallards, during snow storms, whilst they remain inland rarely 

 seem to settle except in the water, I have often remarked that their footmarks are rarely or 

 never seen on the snow near the edge of a running stream though there may be still some 

 met with in the open water, not yet driven to the sea, or out of the country altogether as 

 they are when the frost and snow last a great length of time when you do find footmarks leading 



