776 The Zoologist— June, 1867. 



85. Podiceps arcticus. — Is, so far as I know, only accidental in 

 Finmark, but it is said to breed at Enare. I have had an egg from 

 Spitzbergen, which probably is that of a Podiceps. 



86. Uria troile. — Of this species the three forms are found ! Uria 

 ringvia seems to be the commonest. In the winter of 1857-58 they 

 were in vast numbers in the Varanger Fjord: Uria ringvia then pre- 

 dominated largely. 



87. Mergus serrator. — Remains in East Finmark in mild winters. 

 It was seen in Karlebotten in the winter of 1858-59. 



88. Alca impennis.*— One specimen at Vardo, April, 1848 (vide 

 Nilsson's 'Fauna,' 5th edition, ii. 571.) 



During my stay in East Finmark I tried to make a complete and 

 large collection of the eggs of the birds occurring there, and made use 

 of the Lapps to do so. At first it often happened that I had no further 

 information than such as the Lapps gave me. As however the Lapps 

 know all the commoner ducks well, and have fixed names for them, one 

 could place reliance on their statements, but it also happened that nests 

 were found, and the Lapps did not see the birds, and then I had no 

 means of distinguishing between the eggs of, for instance, Anas glacialis 

 and A. acuta, Mergus serrator and A. marila, as also I have of late often 

 seen small eggs of A. boschas that could be taken for those of A. acuta, 

 and larger ones for varieties of M. serrator. Mr. Wolley was the first to 

 call my attention to the fact that in the down of the ducks one had a 

 reliable mode of determining the eggs, as the down of different species 

 differs. Lately the Lapps have always to bring the down with the 

 eggs, and I will give a description of the down of such ducks as I have 

 had an opportunity of examining. 



A. Anas clangula. — The very thin light down is white. The centrum 

 pure white. Rami rather long, white, with a slight gray tinge towards 

 the points. The radii are not long, and lay rather close. 



b. A. glacialis. — The rather thick and close down is blackish gray, 

 like soot, with a light centrum, and consists of larger and smaller 

 down. The smaller down has the centrum light gray and the rami 

 light blackish gray right out to the point. The larger down has the 



* The late Mr. Wolley made particular inquiries respecting tbis specimen, the 

 result of which was that he considered that the bird shot could not have been Alca 

 impennis. (Vide ' Ibis,' 1861, p. 377.)— H. E. D. 



