488 



THK niVINt; HI1U>S — I'Y(;<iTOI>KS. 



Dr. Walkor. in thp Vnvagt^ of tho " F<<x." inciitions fiii'ling this s|M>oio8 in thon- 

 sands on tlip coast of Cirociiland. aii'l I'l-ofossor R<inhai-(U jjivt's it as a pomnKm 

 ri'!<i(K'nt six'<i<>s ol tliat islan<l. IMofcsMii >;<'\vt>'n lonixi tliistho most ooniin<M). witlj 

 ]M'rlia])s on<' oxr<'|ition, of tho birds of SpitzlxTKiMi. l>i. Malnign-n rogai-<l<^«l it a» 

 altoK<'(h«'r the most n'im<M-ous. even moi<' so tliaii tlx' }f< npihis nllf (= Allt- nigrii-iri>^ 

 It was hn'(><iinj; as far to tlit? north a-s Walih'n Island, in lat. SO' .'}.s N". Its f«Mi.l, 

 awor<iing to Tmfossor X<'v, ton. is cliicHy f-rust^iffajis : and arcoiiUii^ to the ohsorva- 

 tions of Pr< *" 'or Malnvgren, it also liv<»s a go<xl dt>al on fish. h\ the «>nd of August 

 all tho V>n'<'<iinj'-jtlao«>s on tho north ooast ha<l Vx>r-n (h^s(rt<>d. and ahont tho sanu' 

 tim<' tlic hirds that had j>ri.'vionsl\ thiongfil the Alki-nhorn in sn> h connth-ss niimlx'rs 

 wci'i* ra]iiiily (juitting it. Eastward ol tlic South <'a]M> h<- di<l not m<><t with this 

 sjx'oics at all. It is given hv Midih'ndorff as on<> <.>f tho l.tiiiis of SilM'iia. •x^'cinring 

 in tho most n<irtln'rn jxirtions, on th<> toast of the Arotio Ocoan. Mr. (iilh-tt nn't 

 witli it on Nitva Zondila. whti-o it was ahnn<lant along tho coast, hro<>ding in all tho 

 cliffs. Von Houglin in his sul>so<juont visit to tin' sain<' rogion makos a vory similar 

 sl^itt'inont. 



In wint<'r this hinl is qnilo common along tin' cnfirc Ni w Knghuxl coast, and is 

 osiMM'ially ahnndant in the hnvcr ]H3rtions of the Kay of F\iniiy. whoro a few still 

 hi-oc'd every summer. I>r. Henry Ihyant found it iMceding ahnndantly <in (lannet 

 H<xk. in the Culf of St. Lawrence, and only a litth' inferior in inindx>rs to the troile. 

 Ho noti<<'d nothing jx'ctiliar in tin' hahits of this siK-cies ilitfering from what is 

 already known in ndoronco to tlie genus. He stiites that though tho shajx' of tho 

 e^gs of tliis s]x'(ies is generally more ovate than that <<f th<' trorU- or rinr/rin. lio 

 was not able to find any <haracler by whi< h fh<'y can lx> witli certainty ilistingnished. 

 Their maxinnun length h(> gives as .'}.ll inches, their minimum L'.T."); tlioir bivadth 

 varying from 1.77 to 1.8'.». 



According to Mr. ^^^ Thompson, this species is found, and probably breeds. oi\ (ho 

 coast of Kerry, Iri'land. Sir .Iann's C Hoss met with it at I'ist. the most northern 

 of tho Shetland Islamis. and in several parts of Scotlan<l ; an<l Ma<gillivray i-eceived 

 s]>ecimons from the Orkn<'ys. A single accidental ^ix'cimon is recori'.ed as having 

 boon taken near Naples, where it is still preserved 



Mr. I'roctor found this bini breeding in great abiindanco on the Islam! of (irimsey. 

 north of Iceland, where it was the )no>-t nunn-rous of the Iror. and whore it is known 

 to tho itdiabitants l>y tho nann' of Stiiinnjin, 



Mr. Kumlien mentions laigo breeding-places of this bird alxnit ('a])es Mercy and 

 Walsingham, and on the islanils in Kxeter Sound. They are also very abundant on 

 tho (iro<'nlanil coast, breeding by thousau'ls in many hx-alities. 



In th<' winter it usually keeps well oif the coast, lint is (K-casionally forci'd into 

 the Ixiys by violent or long-<n)ntiimed east<'rly winds. It becomes confused by heavy 

 falls of snow. an<l in its attempts to escape by flight loses its way, ari! is ibi\en 

 inwanl >ipon the land, whei-o it p<Mishes with cold. I received one in tS,'};) that had 

 Ih'oii ])icked nj) in a field in IIinghan\ Centre. It was uninjiired, and no other cause 

 could Ix' assigned for its death than cold. 



Kggs of this species in the Smithsonian collection are froni (Jannet Hock in the 

 (i\ilf of St. Lawi-enc<'. the Arctic coast, ami the I'rybilof I^lantls. The gro\in<i-cohir 

 <d those <'gg8 vari<'s r<'maikably. some iM'ing white, others of a deep Iwiif. a biight 

 grass-green, a )>ale blue, a d<'eji lilue. intermciliate tints of bbie, et<\ Thi- markiTtgs 

 of 8onn> are in lin<'s, otht>rs in blotrhos an<l spots var\ ing from a light nmlK'r-bi"own 

 to a deep black. Four eggs Roh'ctcd as typical of their varying sixi' and Hh.'»|xi 

 tnoasnn' : .'MO bv I '.C. inches ; .S.;$0 bv 1. '.♦."> : WM bv 2.0.-.; ;i.(MI bv l.'.H*. 



