The Zoologist — January, 1874, 3821 



A suitable opening being selected, the ship, which had been lying 

 under steam during the whole of our besetment, was immediately 

 got under weigh and forced into it to make it wider. When she 

 could proceed no farther for the time being, she would be backed 

 astern for some hundreds of yards, and then be brought up again at 

 full speed right on to the ice, breaking it up along the crack for 

 several yards ahead of her, and making on all sides a great commo- 

 tion among the floe-pieces, whilst all hands kept "overing" to make 

 her roll, in order that the passage might be widened to the utmost. 

 Two or three of us, in the mean time, would get out upon the ice 

 with poles and boat-hooks, ready to clear the loose ice away so 

 soon as she might retire for another ram. It was surprising to dis- 

 cover what extensive pieces of heavy ice, many feet in thickness, 

 one man unaided could shove through the water. When the ship 

 had got far enough back, and was now returning to the charge, we 

 had to look out for ourselves, withdrawing half a dozen yards or so 

 from the edge to await her onset. Onwards she would come, 

 bumping a k'w loose pieces out of her way, grating along the sides 

 of the narrowing crevice plump upon the ice. Large masses slowly 

 rearing up on end pressed down by her keel ; pieces thrust for- 

 wards by her bows over-riding one another; cracks opening under 

 our feet in all directions everywhere resounding; and the grinding 

 of the pieces one against the other as she gradually forced them 

 aside, frightened the wretched Boreogadi out of their lurking- 

 places; and the surging waters cast them helpless on the ice. 



Cyclopterus spinosus. — This lump-fish was trawled up in Mag- 

 dalena and Lomme Bays by Captain Walker. 



Liparis Fabricii, Kroyer. — Two from Magdalena Bay by Capt. 

 Walker. 



Iceliis hamatus. — One taken in Magdalena Bay by Captain 

 Walker. 



Coitus tricuspis, Reinh. — Common in Magdalena Bay. 



Coitus scorpiiis. — One specimen was obtained at Green Harbour. 

 Dr. Giinther, who identified all the fish for me, noticed that it had 

 sixteen soft rays in the dorsal fin. 



Raia radiata. — A specimen taken in Capt. Mack's (of Tromso) 

 white whale nets was picked up by us on the shore in Lomme Bay. 



Dialailas microcephalus. — In 1872 sharks in Wiide Bay came 

 up after some bear and deer skins which were being towed astern 

 of the ' Samson.' A iew of them were caught by her crew. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. IX. D 



