THE BIRDS OF JAN MAYEN ISLAND. 9 



not extend much beyond the central portions of the Continent. 

 It is most probable that the birds obtained in Jan Mayen belonged 

 to the Ked-breasted form of the Rock Pipit (A. obscurus), a bird 

 which is common in Northern Europe, and also in the Faroe 

 Isles, though unrecorded, it is thought, for Iceland. A. ludo- 

 vicianus occurs and breeds in Greenland. — W. E. C.j 



Turdus pilaris, L., Fieldfare.— On the 4th and 5th of May 

 several specimens were observed, and four of them shot. [This 

 bird has occurred once in Iceland, in December, 1885 (Grondal, 

 * Ornis,' 1886, p. 357), but is not known to have occurred in 

 Greenland.— W. E. C] 



Turdus musicus , L., Song Thrush. — This was met with in 

 the month of May in fair numbers, but always singly or in pairs. 

 We never heard the song of this bird at Jan Mayen. [I think 

 it is probable that the Redwing (T. iliacus) is meant. This bird 

 is a summer visitant to Iceland, and has occurred accidentally in 

 Greenland. The Song Thrush (T. musicus) is unknown in both 

 these countries, and, although it occurs in the extreme north of 

 the Scandinavian Peninsula, yet it is scarcely probable that it 

 would occur in some numbers in Jan Mayen. — W. E. C] 



Turdus merula, L., Blackbird. — On the 23rd of December, 

 1882, a Blackbird appeared at our station, and, although we had 

 had snow-fall for weeks, it hopped about quite cheerily, until it 

 was shot for the collection; a male after the first moult, with 

 black plumage drawing into slate-grey, and with black beak. 

 [The Blackbird has occurred several times in Iceland, and on two 

 occasions in December (' Ornis,' 1886, p. 357, and 1887, p. 157), 

 but has not been known to breed there. — W. E. C] 



Linota homemanni, Holb., Greenland Redpoll. — Individuals 

 of this species, as well as pairs, appeared in the autumn months, 

 and also off and on in May and June. They disappeared, how- 

 ever, on the same day on which they showed themselves. Several 

 specimens were obtained, but only one well-shot was brought 

 home. The characteristics distinguishing this species from its 

 near allies have been very fully defined *by E F. von Homeyer 

 in the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie,' 1879, p. 182. In that paper 

 Greenland only, and, according to Dresser, Spitzbergen, is given 

 as its habitat. The Imperial collection at Vienna possesses two 

 specimens of L. homemanni, stated to be from Iceland, and 

 obtained by Herr Einbeck in 1829. 



