THE ZOOLOGIST 



FOR 



1874. 



Notes on the Fauna of Spitsbergen. 

 By the Rev, A. E, Eaton, M.A., Menib. Ent. Soc. Loud. 



(Continued from Zool. S. S. 3772.) 



Birds. 



Re-addition to the Fauna: — Lesser redpoll {Linota linaria). 

 Desiderata obtained: — Pomarine skua {Stercorarius pomator- 

 himis), longtailed skua {S. longicauda), and brent goose {Bernicla 

 leucopsis). 



Plectrophanes nivalis (Snow Bunting). — In the former part of 

 this paper I have mentioned our meeting with flights of snow- 

 buntings, towards the end of May, flying westward, when we were 

 at the Western Ice. There was a small flock of them on the east 

 side of King's Bay on the 8th of June, when the land was mostly 

 covered with snow, flitting from patch to patch of bare ground in 

 search of food. Three days later we found them in pairs at 

 Norway Islands, and in full song. On the 29th of June I found a 

 nest at Walden Island containing three blind young. My- guard 

 and I (for there being a suspicion of bears about the place, the 

 captain had insisted upon my being attended like a convict by a 

 man with a loaded rifle) saw the old birds flying about a crevice in 

 a cliff" behind a large slab of rock. He at first pronounced it 

 inaccessible, for there was no ledge for one's feet nearer than the 

 base of the cliff; some yards below. By grasping the top of the 

 slab I was able, however, to swing myself hand over hand out to 

 where the old birds had entered, though not having anything to 

 stand upon when I got there I could not examine the nest or do 

 more than look hastily at it. A very old nest was in the same 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. IX. ^ 



