152 A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEEGEN, ETC. 



are their long raigrations performed continuously.*' Thus the 

 great bulk of the migrants follow the eastern current to Novaya 

 Zemlya and Siberia, the vast marshy "tundras" of which latter 

 country are so well suited to their requirements. A smaller con- 

 tingent, principally Brent Geese, follow the lesser, northerly, 

 current to Spitzbergen. 



Under these conditions the majority of its avi -fauna are Eock- 

 birds — e.g., Guillemots, Auks, and Petrels — while others are of 

 rock -loving habits. Thus the Turnstone and Purple Sandpiper 

 are never seen here on the sand or ooze, always on rocks ; and 

 the haunt of our Eider is some rock-bound bay, where he dives 

 for Dog Crabs. Such are therefore just the species one might 

 expect to meet with there, but the presence of two species of 

 Geese, Eed-throat Diver, etc., seems only accountable by their 

 following the warm current above mentioned. The rugged 

 shores of Spitzbergen certainly offer but little attraction to them. 



I will now enumerate, with brief notes, the species met with 

 in Spitzbergen in July and August, 1881. 



1 . Falco (? sp. Falco gyrfalco). — A large Falcon was observed 

 by myself and others, soaring high over Bel Sound, on the even- 

 ing of July 31st. 



2. Plectrophanes nivalis. — Snow Buntings were abundant, 

 breeding in low cliffs and moraines. They were observed as far 

 north as Magdalena Bay, 79° 35' N. lat., where broods of young 

 were fledged by 29th July. 



3. Lag opus hemileucurus (Gould). — With the exception of 

 the four Ptarmigan met with, as before mentioned, on our first 

 landing at Ice Pjord, we came across only one other instance of 

 this species, viz., an old female with her young brood, just able 

 to fly, on August 4th. They do not appear to be numerous, and 



• are, as above described, the only resident species in Spitzbergen. 

 From the Scotch L. mutus, and the ''Fjeld-rypa" of Norway, 

 the present bird chiefly differs in its superior size. Its wings 



* The Brent Geese commence to leave the Northumbrian coast in March, but do not 

 arrive in Spitzbergen till June, 



