200 Mr. A. Newton on the Birds of Spitsbergen. 



accompanied the Swedish Scientific Expedition to Spitsbergen, 

 and in 1863 communicated to the Royal Academy of Stockholm, 

 with other papers, a very cai'efully drawn-up list of the birds of 

 that country*. Last year this gentleman again formed part of 

 the same expedition, and I had the very singular good fortune 

 of meeting him in those arctic solitudes, and of comparing notes 

 with him. On one or two minor points I differ from the opi- 

 nions which have been placed on record by my friend (for so I 

 feel I may now call him) ; but of the importance of his article 

 on the ornithology of Spitsbergen, compiled, as it is, with so 

 large and so accurate a personal knowledge of the subject, com- 

 bined with so much research into the writings of former visitors 

 to that inhospitable land, and tempered by the greatest good 

 judgment in treating of their labours, I desire most fully to 

 declare my high appreciation. 



Though hitherto Mr. Malmgren^s remarks have not been 

 brought directly to the knowledge of English ornithologists, our 

 German brethren have had the advantage of reading them in 

 their own language, a translation of his paper, by Dr. C. F. 

 Frisch, having appeared in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie ' for 

 1863 (pp. 358-387 and 447-458). It seems to me that my 

 fellow-countrymen should not be deprived of the like benefit ; 

 and I shall therefore, in the following notes, make no difficulty 

 about quoting Mr. Malmgren's opinions, whenever (as is often 

 the case) they afford new information on the subject. 



But before proceeding to give an actual list of the feathered 

 inhabitants of Spitsbergen, it may be as well to state, as briefly 

 as I am able, the amount of personal acquaintance which I can 

 claim with them. My paper will therefore naturally divide itself 

 into two portions, — the first being a narrative of my own pro- 

 ceedings in that country ; the second a catalogue, with more or 

 less scientific pretension, of the species which are there to be 

 found. 



On the morning of Sunday, the 3rd of July 1864, we left 

 Hammerfest. The following day we met many Fulmars — birds 

 which, so far as I know, do not breed on any part of the Norwe- 



* Anteckningar till Spetsbergens Fogel-Fauna. Af A. J, Malmgren. 

 CEfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Forhandlingar, 1863, p. 87. 



