1995] A NaTURALIST IN THE Frozen Nortu. 105 
of December and May, in variegated plumage in September, and 
in white or variegated in June. It is not easy to understand this, 
but I speak of what I saw. Ptarmigan were also seen out at 
sea—off Labrador—early in October, their tails spread out fan- 
shape in flight, and their plumage was then white. 
We must hurry through the birds. That line of the arctic 
fauna is too great to do anything like justice to in a single lecture. 
Shore-birds are numerous. One day a little Sandpiper tried 
to decoy me away from its nest by feigning to have its wings 
broken. It would allow me almost to touch it, and then skip 
away ; after which it repeated its tactics. I sat on a rock and 
patiently watched it until it returned to its nest, which contained 
four beautiful eggs. 
The Red Phalarope (Crymophilus fulicartus)—a bird of wide 
. distribution—is well represented and thoroughly at home in our 
northern waters. With its coot-like feet it swims gracefully about 
in the ponds, and equals any duck in its ease of movement, a thing 
shared with other Phalaropes, but otherwise unique among the 
shore birds. During the summer it was common at Fullerton, but 
its nest was hard to find. 
The Whistling Swan (Olor columbianus) was tound at South- 
ampton and Hutchen’s Goose (Branta hutchinsiz), and the Lesser 
Snow Goose or Wavy (Chen hyperborea) at Fullerton. 
Eiders (Somateria mollissima) was very plentiful, and some 
remained at the floe or open water throughout the winter, and 
were frequently shot. 
The following analysis of the contents of the gizzards of some 
20 Eiders may be of interest :—-Numerous shells of Acmca testudin- 
alts, numerous fragments of valves of Zonzicella marmorata, a few 
shells of Margarita cinerea, a number of shells of other small 
gastropods, a few opercula of a gastropod, egg-capsules of a 
gastropod, numerous valves of Crenella, fragments of valves of 
various small and medium-sized lamellibranchs, various parts of 
the shells of Hyas and other crustaceans, a few pieces of the arms 
of an ophiurian, a few bones of a very small teleost, fragments of 
alga, numerous small stones. 
The King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) was of rarer occurrence 
than the common Eider, but was occasionally seen. A male bird 
