NOTES OF A NATURALIST ON SPITZBERGEN. 415 



possible (speaking for myself) that I may have been deeeived by 

 the greater conspicuousness of the large bird into supposing it 

 more numerous than the tiny one. Any way, it exists all along 

 the west coast in millions, Guillemots were rather numerous at 

 sea (July 24th) to the north of Norway, but as the common 

 species was the only one actually found breeding on Bear Island 

 by Dr. Malmgren, these probably belonged to the latter species. 

 The next day, after clearing the fog and ice, to the north of Bear 

 Island, Guillemots became very common, and were probably 

 Brunnich's species, to which doubtless all that we saw, without 

 exception after we actually arrived in Spitzbergen waters, be- 

 longed ; Uria troile not having been reported, I believe, from 

 Spitzbergen since Parry's fourth voyage, when Sir James C. Boss 

 met with it as high as lat. 81°.* There were quantities off 

 Vogelsang. The " loomeries " where they breed are numerous ; 

 at Green Harbour they were probably breeding, in company with 

 Little Auks, at an estimated height of 1400 or 1500 feet above 

 the sea, and at Rotges Hill, Magdalena Bay, nearly or quite up 

 to the top of that precipice, which is 2000 feet high. In the 

 early morning of August 2nd we saw two or three Guillemots, 

 accompanied by their young ones, about which they were very 

 anxious, swimming a little way to the east of Separation Point, 

 Van Keulen Bay : the young could dive well. On August 6th, 

 when at sea to the north of Norway, we occasionally saw Guille- 

 mots, which may either have been of the common species or 

 Brunnich's, on their way southwards for the winter ; but as we 

 did not observe any young birds with them, they probably were of 

 the common species. 



17. Little Auk (Mergulus alle, L.). — As above remarked, one 

 of the commonest birds in Spitzbergen. Chapman saw two 

 while we were steaming down Tromso Fjord on July 23rd ; 

 several seen during the day (July 25th), in the neighhbournood of 

 Bear Island ; many flocks off Horn Sound on the 26th, and after 

 that they swarmed everywhere along the coast up to Vogelsang, 

 where we observed quantities. Breeding at an estimated height 

 of 1400 or 1500 feet above the sea, on a cliff-face a little way 

 inland, at Green Harbour (July 27th) ; and in great quantities at 



* ' Yarrell,' 3rd edit., iii., p. 456. I have not had an opportunity of 

 referring to the original. 



