THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 1S94 471 



or twice we also saw a skua (probably Lesfj^is parasitica) — 

 for instance, on July 14th. On July 21st we had a visit 

 from a snow-bunting. 



On August 3cl a remarkable occurrence took place: 

 we were visited by the Arctic rose gull {Rhodostethia 

 rosea). I wrote as follows about it in my diary: " To-day 

 my longing has at last been satisfied. I have shot Ross's 

 gull," * three specimens in one day. This rare and 

 mysterious inhabitant of the unknown north, which is 

 only occasionally seen, and of which no one knows 

 whence it cometh or whither it goeth, which belongs 

 exclusively to the world to which the imagination as- 

 pires, is what, from the first moment I saw these tracts, 

 1 had always hoped to discover, as my eyes roamed over 

 the lonely plains of ice. And now it came when I was 

 least thinking of it. I was out for a little walk on the 

 ice by the ship, and as I was sitting down by a hummock 

 my eyes wandered northward and lit on a bird hovering 

 over the great pressure- mound away to the northwest. 

 At first I took it to be a kittivvake, but soon discovered 

 it rather resembled the skua by its swift flight, sharp 

 wings, and pointed tail. When I had got my gun, there 

 were two of them together flying round and round the 

 ship. I now got a closer view of them, and discovered 

 that they were too light colored to be skuas. They were 

 by no means shy, but continued flying about close to the 



* This gull is often called by this name, after its first discoverer. It 

 has acquired its other name, " rose gull," from its pink color. 



