196 The Zoologist— May, 1866. 



bird ; but the Canada goose is most vociferous, on wing and on foot, 

 and when disturbed. 



N.B. When I say enlirely, I mean the year throughout, except in 

 harvest time, when the Canada goose will frequent the corn- 

 fields. 



1 have always forty or fifty Canada geese here ; and I have such 

 uncommon opportunities of looking into their economy, that I fancy 

 I could write a very long chapter on their natiu-e and habits. They 

 are just now flying round the house night and day, making an 

 incessant trumpet noise, preparatory to breeding. 



As postage costs nothing now, and as the reading of this letter will 

 onl}' take up about two minutes of your precious tiuie, I feel no 

 scruple in troubling you with these remarks. 1 arrived fioin Madeira 

 about a fortnight ago. 1 had taken my sister to pass llie winter there. 

 I should have returned this week, but Her Majesty has detained me to 

 prosecute thieves and poachers at the Lent Assizes. Six of the 

 villains are lodged in York Caslle. 



Believe me, my dear Sir, very truly yours, 

 Edward Newman, Esq. Charles VVateuton. 



Nolen on the Zoology of Spitsheij/rn. 

 By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S.* 



In the month of May last, Mr. Edward Birkbeck offered me a berth 

 in his yacht, the " Sultana," II. T. Y. C, on a voyage to Spitsbergen. 

 * As this was a country I had long been desirous to visit, 1 was very 

 glad of the opportunity of seeing it, which had so unexpectedly 

 presented itself. On the 31st of May I found myself on board the 

 vessel at Lowestoft, and the following morning we sailed northward. 

 After a passage protracted by some tedious calms, we Q^st anchor in 

 the Bay of Hamnierfest on tlie evening of the 2G[h June. Here it 

 was necessary to stay for some days, while a Norwegian " jajgt" was 

 being equipped to accompan}' us, and to take us, if necessary, into the 

 ice, where the yacht, from her extreme length, woidd become 

 embarrassed, and from her slight build dangerous. Late in the evening 

 of the ^ud July the necessary preparations were coujpleted, and the 



* ReprinteJ from ilie ' Proceedings of the Znolonical Society of London,' 

 November H, 1864, and kindly couiiniinicaled l)y the aiilbor. 



