AN AUTUMN VISIT TO SPITZBERGEN. 15 



which were without much doubt this species. About 150, which 

 were extremely shy, in Kecherche Bay on Sept. 22nd, and about 

 a dozen seen flying the next day, were most likely the same 

 species. A " skjoite," which followed us into Recherche Bay for 

 shelter, had a live gosling of each of these two species on board. 



Long-tailed Duck, Harelda glacialis,L. ; Norwegian, "Havel." 

 — Three ducks flying in Eeeherche Bay on Sept. 22nd were with- 

 out much doubt this species, but they did not come close enough 

 to identify with certainty. 



King Eider, Somateria spectahilis, L. ; Norwegian, " Pragt 

 Eder," " Gronland's Eder."— A single bird, doubtfully identified 

 as this species by one of M. Eabot's boat's-crew, in Green Har- 

 bour on Sept. 9th. On Aug. 6th, 1882, Herr Dreyer found many 

 Eider's nests on a small island off the S.W. coast of Prince 

 Carl's Foreland, and among them one containing four eggs rather 

 smaller than the normal size of S. mollissima ; two of these, 

 which he kindly gave me, measure 64 and 63 mm. in length 

 respectively. Though it is perhaps impossible to speak positively, 

 it seems likely that these may be eggs of S. spectahilis. 



Three ducks seen by me and my boat's crew in Sassen Bay 

 on Sept. 14th were neither species of Eider, nor, I feel quite 

 certain, Long-tailed Ducks, which is the only other species of 

 duck hitherto recorded from Spitzbergen. My reasons for very 

 doubtfully supposing them to have been Oidemia fusca (Linn.) 

 have been recorded at length (Zool. 1883, p. 407). 



Black-throated Diver, Colymhus arcticus, Pennant ; Norwegian, 

 " Stor Lorn." — I have no doubt that a pair of Divers met with 

 near the entrance to Green Harbour on Sept. 9th were of this 

 species, and out of several Colijmhi seen flying later in the day 

 believe that at least one pair were Black-throated. Three Divers, 

 were seen flying in Sassen Bay on Sept. 15th, whose species 

 could not be determined, and, though the Eed-throated is the 

 more probable species, they may possibly have been Black- 

 throated. This species has not been previously recorded from 

 Spitzbergen, but Lensmand Klerk, of Elvenses, Syd Varanger, 

 told me this autumn (1883) that he had shot this species in Spitz- 

 bergen when up there some years since. 



Great Northern Diver, Colymhus glacialis, L. ; Norwegian, 

 " Imber." — A bird was seen by our harpooner on Sept. 8th a few 

 miles ofl" the coast, between Bell Sound and Is Fjord, which he 



