VOL. XI.] NOTES. 168 
From these measurements we conclude— 
(1) That the Spitsbergen bird, as has already been 
noticed by Ogilvie-Grant (Cat. Birds B.M., xxvi., 
p. 618), is distinctly larger and may be recognised 
as a distinct race under the name F. a. glacialis. 
(2) There is no distinction between the Norwegian and 
British birds worth recording. 
(3) The American birds are intermediate in size with 
the Spitsbergen and Norwegian races. 
With regard to the type locality of the Linnzan species, 
the Handlist gives: ‘‘N. European Ocean. Restricted 
typical locality: Sweden.” But although Linnzus’s first 
reference is to the Fauna suecica it seems very doubtful 
whether the bird breeds on the Swedish coasts. When 
Linnezus spoke of the north European Ocean he was probably 
thinking of the northern coasts of Norway, where the Pu‘in 
is known to breed ‘in abundance, and this should probably 
be regarded as the type loca'ity. 
Anyhow, so far as the birds in the British Museum go 
there is no evidence of the allegel smaller size of British 
as compared with Scandinavian Puffins, and we nvrefer to 
continue to regard our breeding form as typical Frafercula 
arctica arctica (Linn.). W. L. Scuater. 
C. W. MackwortH PRAED. 
The™conclusions arrived at by Messrs. Sclater and Praed 
are, in my opinion, hasty and valueless, because they are 
based on quite insufficient material. The fact is that they 
had only one adult Norwegian Puffin to judge from, two of 
their supposed adults being young, and one having the tins 
of the wings damaged! It would have been wiser if the 
authors had asked me for further information, before rushing 
to print with their note. Mr. Sclater, at least, knows that I 
have recently worked through all Palearctic water-birds, and 
that I do not come to hasty conclusions, but base my 
deductions on as much material as I can gather, and as a 
rule after weeks, months or years of study and consideration, 
especially when I split forms hitherto united. Fortunately, 
we have at Tring four adult Puffins from Norway. As 
Messrs. Sclater and Praed point out correctly, it is the 
Norwegian bird which matters most of all, because it is that 
which must be regarded‘as topo-typical. By an oversight I 
have,tin the Handlist, p. 208, given Sweden as the typical 
locality for Alca artica, but Linnzus, in the Syst. Na‘., refers 
to his Fauna Svecica, where he says: “ Habitat in rupibus 
et precipitiis montium maris atlantici, presertim in insulis.” 
