384 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



for a long day with Johaunesen, another of our ice-pilots, in his 

 " Fangst-baad," had succeeded — the ice having dispersed — in 

 reaching the Reindeer valley on the north side of Van Mijen's 

 Bay, which we had been unable to reach on the 30th, and had 

 killed five deer out of seven seen. Johannesen shot the only good 

 head, which he cut off and left behind, to save the additional 

 labour in porterage. I was offered either of the other heads, but 

 the horns being still in the velvet, and not fully hardened, I did 

 not think them worth preserving. We arrived off the entrance of 

 Is Fjord about 0.30 p.m., and charged through ice about a foot 

 thick for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, and soon after- 

 wards anchored in Green Harbour, not so far up as on our 

 previous visit. 



August 3rd. Chapman and Faussett, with Kjeldsen, landed, 

 and proceeded up "the big valley," an old friend, to the eastwards, 

 and had " a laborious stalk" after Reindeer, " worked hard all day, 

 but to no purpose." They " saw no deer, nor even any birds at 

 all, save a few Snowflecks with newly-hatched young, and a 

 Glaucous Gull or two seeking what he might devour." On their 

 way back the)' met another party of sportsmen from the ' Pallas,' 

 returning also empty- handed. They had been nearly twenty miles 

 up the valley, and only seen five deer, which were too wild to give 

 a good shot. As we had heard last night, much to our surprise 

 and chagrin, that this was to be our last day in Spitzbergen, 

 I wished to utilise it, as far as possible, in making up deficiencies 

 in my collection of birds, but only got away with Johannesen in 

 his " Fangst-baad," about the middle of the day. Found the usual 

 birds about, but in very much reduced numbers, and instead of 

 the large flocks to which we were accustomed, nearly all the birds 

 were now flying singly, with a few pairs among the Little Auks, 

 Mandt's Guillemots, and Puffins. The Puffins being in about 

 their usual numbers, were comparatively much commoner than 

 hitherto. I secured some specimens during the afternoon, but 

 was obliged to call for several of the party who were ashore, and 

 bring them on board in time for dinner. From 10 till midnight 

 I again went out in the " Fangst-baad," and obtained specimens 

 of seven species of birds, viz., Briinnich's and Mandt's Guillemots, 

 Little Auk, Puffin, Eider Duck, Purple Sandpiper, and an imma- 

 ture example of the Glaucous Gull, of which only three others 

 were seen during the voyage, while adult birds were quite common; 



