THE BIRDS OF JAN MAYEN ISLAND. 43 



differentiating U. mandti from U. grylle — namely, that in the 

 former species the feathers forming the conspicuous white wing- 

 spot are pure white at their base ; while in U. grylle they are 

 always black at their base. The value of this character is not 

 conceded by the authors of this paper, but, unfortunately, they 

 have adduced no evidence against it. These species or races are 

 still recognised as distinct by many British ornithologists. — 

 W. E. C] 



Uria arra y Pallas = U. brunnichii, Sabine, Brunnich's Guille- 

 mot. — The so-called Loom put in frequent appearance soon after 

 we approached the limits of drift-ice. In small or large com- 

 panies, swimming or sitting on ice-floes, as well as in flights of 

 from one to four specimens, this bird accompanied us continually 

 in our wanderings for several weeks in the drift-ice. Next to 

 the Grey "Storm Gull" [P. glacialis], these birds were most 

 numerously represented. Their nests, if we can so call the rocky 

 ledges on which they deposit their large eggs, without any 

 underlayer, are mostly to be found on perpendicular walls or 

 steep terraced cliffs which are usually approachable only from 

 the sea. On the 14th of July, 1882, I obtained a slightly 

 incubated egg. By the middle of August most of these Auks 

 had departed. On the 20th August I saw some young still in 

 down in the nest, of which I shot a few for the collection. By 

 the beginning of September there were very few Auks to be 

 seen on the Vogelberge, and after the 10th there were no more 

 breeding birds to be met with. About this time a few single 

 ones were still to be seen at sea. On the 11th of October large 

 flights of Auks passed the island ; they came, most probably, 

 from more northern breeding-places. On January 16th, 1883, 

 I saw one sitting on a stranded ice-floe. On Jan. 21th I shot an 

 Auk at sea. On February 20th I shot one with an abnormally 

 high and very curved beak. On April 10th I saw three Auks at 

 sea ; and on the 20fch flights of these birds appeared after the 

 ice had been driven off in a north-westerly direction. They 

 were more shy than previously. The wooing of the females took 

 place amidst much noise and after long battles. On May 17th 

 I obtained an Auk which showed already a spot on the breast, and 

 was discoloured from sitting on the nest. On June 14th I took 

 some eggs, of which some were well incubated. The Auk lays 

 but one large egg ; it varies much in form, colour, and marking, 



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