68 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



coloured ground. The locality given was Musvaer, behind 

 Tromso, and report said that in the whole colony, a large one, 

 only one nest contains these red eggs each year. 



L. canus. — The Common Gull appeared to be generally dis- 

 tributed, breeding upon the " egg-holms " in the sounds, about 

 small pools upon the bogs, and on rocky islets in the lakes. 

 Wherever we went, a few pairs cackled overhead. At Skjervo, 

 on the 17th, I waded across the softest of spring bogs to a nest 

 with three eggs. At the Kvalo pools several old birds were noisy 

 overhead, and we saw two young ones swimming. On the lake 

 behind Svolvaer two or three pairs had young ones just flying on 

 July 24th. 



Stercorarius crepidatus. — Richardson's Skua was frequently 

 seen about the sounds and channels in the neighbourhood of 

 Tromso. At Grindo, on the 14th, I watched one amusing itself 

 with a Common Gull, threatening it playfully. On July 20th, 

 landing at Tisnaes on the Kvalo, and walking inland, we soon 

 reached the moors already mentioned in connection with the 

 Golden Plover. A Skua appeared on the wing some distance in 

 front of us. Its long pinions and hawk-like flight reminded one 

 of the Kite. It was evidently excited. After some search 

 amongst the lichen and crowberry, my friend picked up a nest- 

 ling Skua in dark smoky down, its quills and mottled scapulars 

 just showing. The bird, first seen, which was of the lighter 

 variety, tumbled about. It was soon joined by another, wholly 

 dark. Both showed their flight to perfection, and were rather 

 noisy. The young one was not in the nest, but the latter must 

 have been close at hand. On the 23rd we noted a Skua of the 

 light variety flying over one of the islets off Svolvaer. Another 

 was chasing an Arctic Tern t 



Alca torda. — At Tromso, Razorbills were constantly on the 

 move up and down the channel. 



Uria grylle. — The same remark applies to the Black Guille- 

 mot. Several were noted on the 14th when we rowed to Grindo. 

 On the 22nd, in the * Rost,' we ran into the Trold Fjord, an inlet 

 of the Raftsund, with grand surroundings. Here a few pairs of 

 Black Guillemots were evidently breeding. Next day many were 

 noticed in the course of a boating excursion to the islands off 

 Svolvaer. Landing on a large rocky islet off Store Molle, we 



