14 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Rallus aquaticus, L., Water Kail. — On the 15th of October 

 a Water Rail was captured, surprised in the evening in its 

 hiding-place. It was pretty cheerful, but, as it was difficult 

 to keep alive, it was converted into a skin. The Water Rail in 

 Europe certainly goes pretty far north. It has been observed in 

 Norway, on the Orkney Islands, Faroes, and Iceland, and is 

 said to winter in the neighbourhood of hot- springs in the last- 

 named island. The specimen caught on Jan Mayen on the 15th 

 of October may perhaps be the most northern specimen hitherto 

 collected. [This species breeds in limited numbers in Iceland. — 

 W. E. C.]. 



Bernicla brenta, Pall., Brent Goose. — I only saw one bird of 

 this species, on the 23rd of May, at sea. It found its way into 

 our collection. 



Harelda glacialis, L., Long- tailed Duck. — On the 7th of 

 December I saw a specimen at sea, and shot it. In spring, and 

 up to our departure from Jan Mayen, a pair were to be seen on 

 and off. A pair took up their abode almost daily, in the after- 

 noon, on the fresh-water lagoon near our station; they were, 

 however, so shy that it was impossible to get within shot. I 

 could not find the nest of this duck. It differs from the young 

 birds represented by Naumann, the brown being spread more 

 widely on the sides of the head. 



Somateria mollissima, L., Eider Duck. — In Trornso we saw 

 this species of duck in such numbers that it is difficult to 

 believe that it was formerly still more numerous. In the first 

 days of our landing on Jan Mayen until the 14th of August 

 I occasionally saw single specimens of this species, males 

 preponderating, in the north lagoon or neighbouring bight. 

 October 15th, swarms of male Eiders, with which were a few 

 females, passed daily ; they were, however, so shy that I could 

 not get a shot. On Dec. 6th I shot a single passing female at 

 sea. In spring the Eiders showed themselves for the first 

 time on the 8th of April, in a flock of forty birds, mostly 

 females and young dark-coloured males, led by a white specimen 

 of the latter sex. From the 3rd of May Eiders were seen in 

 large numbers, and it was also easy, by following the call of the 

 males, to get within shot of the birds sitting on the ice-floes in 

 the fog. The ice-floes pushed by the drift-ice were often covered 

 with hundreds of Eiders. Until our departure from Jan Mayen, 



