90 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Hook and Shoal Point in July, 1861. Dr. Theel records a second 

 example from Mossel Bay. In the neighbourhood of Advent Bay, 

 on July 2nd, I came across a low mound, which was undoubtedly 

 used as a resting-place by this species. Many of its unmistake- 

 able feathers lay about, and numerous castings, which proved to 

 consist entirely of the remains of the Little Auk. 



The same day Colonel Bond, on the shore of Advent Bay, 

 saw a Snowy Owl, which rose from the ground close to him. He 

 was after Reindeer at the time, and having only a rifle could not 

 secure it. On July 5th, as already mentioned, we observed a fine 

 Snowy Owl on the small island that lies off the west side of 

 Prince Charles Foreland, approximately in lat. 78° 22' N. 

 Skipper Olsen, of the ' Familien,' whom we met in Smeerenburg 

 Bay, gave me the skin of one, which he had shot at Welcome 

 Point, lat. 79° 50' N., on July 1st. Capt. H. C. Johannesen 

 brought to the yacht, on July 8th, another, which had been shot 

 a few hours previously on Amsterdam Island. This was a 

 female, and one of the fattest birds I ever dissected. This bird 

 had evidently been sitting, for its breast was quite bare, and 

 showed signs of incubation. The stomach contained remains of 

 Mergulus alle. In our brief visit to Spitsbergen we obtained two 

 specimens, saw two more, and found traces of them. I had, 

 prior to my visit, accounted for the rarity of the Snowy Owl by 

 the entire absence of the Lemming from Spitsbergen, for in 

 Grinnell Land and Novaya Zemlya, where the Snowy Owl is 

 abundant in summer, so also is the Lemming. As, however, 

 the bird appears to be able to live well in Spitsbergen on the 

 Little Auks, which doubtless it can procure at their breeding 

 haunts in any number, this line of reasoning does not hold 

 good. Is it possible that the Snowy Owl has only of late years 

 discovered the capabilities of the Auk-fells of Spitsbergen ? If 

 such be the case, we may expect to find this bird increasing 

 yearly in numbers in Spitsbergen, and this will be an interesting 

 point for future observers to determine. 



I do not find in my journal of the cruise any further notes of 

 zoological interest connected with Spitsbergen. After communi- 

 cating with the depot of the American Polar Expedition on 

 Danes Island, where we found Professor A. Oyen, of Christiania, 

 in charge, and taking a mail for Europe on board, we returned to 

 Tromsoe, which we reached on July 12th. 



