NOTES OF A NATURALIST ON SPITZBERGEN. 409 



species, the first of its kind recorded from Spitzbergen ; and in 

 all probability this one had never been alive in that country. Its 

 beak measures 3g- in. to the commencement of the feathers on 

 the top, and therefore, if the measurements given by Yarrell 

 (3rd edit., vol. ii., p. 618) are trustworthy sexual distinctions, it is 

 a female. 



5. Purple Sandpiper (Tringa maritima, L.). — Rather 

 numerous. Several pairs evidently breeding some miles inland 

 up a valley east of Green Harbour, July 27th. On this day 

 a nest containing four highly-incubated eggs was found on the 

 opposite side of the Haven. The place where we perhaps saw 

 most within a short time was a short way up Van Keulen Bay, on 

 its north coast, on July 30th ; and a few miles further on, and 

 some distance inland, we discovered, on August 1st, four little 

 Purple Sandpipers not many days old ; their upper parts were 

 covered with a purple-black down, beautifully spotted with yellow. 



6. Arctic Tern {Sterna macrura, Naum.). — Fairly common ; 

 and we found a good many of its eggs on small islands in Bell 

 Sound, &c. On one of the Axel Islands, at the entrance to the 

 northern fork of this Sound, I watched a pair of Terns success- 

 fully drive an Arctic Skua away from their nest. 



7. Ivory Gull {Pagophila ebumea, Phipps). — Only seen by us 

 at Green Harbour and Magdalena Bay. At the former place we 

 saw Ivory Gulls several miles inland, when we were Reindeer- 

 hunting, and Faussett observed during the day, while cutting up 

 a Reindeer fifteen miles or more from the coast, that Ivory Gulls 

 speedily found it out, and congregated where none had previously 

 been in sight. At Magdalena Bay, on July 29th, we saw a good 

 many of this species, and secured several specimens. I fancy 

 they were mainly attracted there by a quantity of carcasses of 

 White Whales the "krang" left after the skins and blubber had 

 been removed by the crew of a vessel engaged in this " fishery," 

 which we found lying at anchor in the Bay. Chapman found a 

 pair nesting this day at Rotges Hill, but in an utterly in- 

 accessible place. 



8. Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla, Linn.). — Within one or two 

 of being the commonest bird on the west coast of Spitzbergen. 

 A large flock followed the ship all day on July 24th, when at sea 

 well clear of the north coast of Norway (lat. at noon 72° 8'). 

 Much less plentiful the next day off Bear Island, and there were 



3 G 



