154 A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEKGEN, ETC. 



colours rather paler than Northumbrian Eiders, on which grounds 

 the species was differentiated by Prof. Malmgren as S. Thulensis. 

 8. Spectabilis was conspicuous by its absence, and the only other 

 Duck seen was 



8. Sarelda glacialis, but not abundantly, nor were any speci- 

 mens obtained. 



9. Bernicla Brenta. — Spitzbergen is one of the principal 

 breeding resorts of these Geese, and I had the pleasure of meet- 

 ing with these old friends of many a winter's day on the North- 

 umberland coasts in their Arctic retreats. In Bel Sound and 

 Van Keulen's Bay they were abundant, breeding, with the 

 Eiders, on rocky islands. The old Geese were unable to fly, 

 having entirely moulted their quills. This deficiency was coun- 

 terbalanced by their extraordinary pedestrian powers. So fast 

 could both old and half-grown young traverse the rough rocky 

 ground that we found it quite impossible to run them down or 

 catch them alive. Their summer plumage appears slightly rud- 

 dier than that of winter, owing to their upper coverts being 

 fringed with brown. 



Mr. Lamont mentions meeting with the Beruicle Goose, B. 

 leucopsis, and killing a large number in Advent Bay ; but as 

 none of the skilled ornithologists who have visited Spitzbergen 

 have seen anything of it, it appears probable that he was mis- 

 taken as regards the species. 



10. Anserlrachyrhy7ichus, Pink -footed Goose. — We saw Grey 

 Geese in most of the Sounds visited, but being more advanced in 

 the moult, they had recovered the use of their wings, and we 

 did not secure any till our arrival in Magdalena Bay. Here we 

 shot several, which proved to be of the above-named species, and 

 found their young in the downy stage, 28th July, and yellow 

 in colour. Curiously, the latter were less advanced than those 

 of the last-named species, though in the adults the reverse was 

 the case. The Grey Geese breed rather high up on the loose 

 stony detritus or morainal debris which covers the basal portion 

 of the cliffs. In these places we found thickly strewn about 

 their long quill feathers, which appear to be cast all together, 



