NOTES OF A NATURALIST ON SPITZBERGEN. 385 



this individual was with both parents, — at least two old birds, — 

 one of which I could easily have shot. As we were passing the 

 site of the old Russian hut, on the S.W. shore of the harbour, 

 I saw a Turnstone flying quietly, or rather flitting, close along 

 the shore edge. I landed as quickly as possible, and was lucky 

 enough to secure it, as it is the first specimen recorded as 

 obtained in Spitzbergen. I only saw one Skua all day, and that 

 was wheeling about, as we rowed back at midnight, among some 

 fishing-vessels which were anchored close astern of the ' Pallas.' 

 A Little Auk which I shot this afternoon had the pouch beneath 

 the lower mandible greatly distended with a large quantity of 

 small transparent shrimps, apparently young ones, of which I have 

 brought home specimens. I went on board a Bergen fishing-sloop, 

 the ' Eyvind,' and found lying on deck about five Brent Geese, 

 which had been shot in Bell Sound the dajr before, also a live 

 gosling and a dead one in down. Johannesen made bids for the 

 live gosling, but the captain of the ' Eyvind ' did not want to part. 

 The goslings were very different from those of the Pink-footed 

 species, which we had had on the ' Pallas.' 



August 4th. Weighed anchor for the south at 0.30 midnight — 

 so that our rascally entrepreneur might say we had left on the 4th. 

 During the day, as we coasted along, we saw Fulmars, Briinnich's 

 and Mandt's Guillemots, Little Auks, Puffins, &c. We left South 

 Cape behind us early in the afternoon, and at 9.30 p.m. came to 

 heavy pack-ice, which obliged us frequently to stop, and for the 

 remainder of the evening and through the night we steered 

 to every point of the compass, a very thick fog not facilitating 

 matters, while the combination of ice and fog made it extremely 

 cold. 



August 6th. Thick fog all day. Passed the latitude of Bear 

 Island during the forenoon without getting a glimpse of it. I was 

 busy below bird-stuffing nearly the whole day, and have no note 

 of so much as a single bird ; but so thick was the fog that even 

 had I remained on deck the whole time I should probably have 

 had equally little to report. 



August 6th. Fresh east breeze in morning, rising to gale a 

 few hours later, ship rolling heavily all day. The fog lifted this 

 morning before a rapidly freshening breeze. Sighted Norway 

 shortly before 2 p.m. ; about 4 made the land, and found that 

 instead of being opposite the North Cape, for which we were 



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