24 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



When running up the coast a few pairs of Grey-lag Geese were 

 seen, also a considerable flock, presumably of this species, on a 

 low grassy holm, before coming to the mountain peaks known as 

 the " Seven Sisters of Alsteno." The Merganser was common in 

 the land-locked sounds and fjords, sometimes with a string of 

 downy mites inclose company; the Goosander I failed to identify. 

 Ducks innumerable of many species and with crowds of young. 

 From the deck of a steamer it was impossible to identify them, 

 the males, too, being generally in the " eclipse " plumage. Those 

 I succeeded beyond doubt in making out were the Hareld or Ice 

 Duck, Common Pochard, Goldeneye, and Common Scoter. Eiders 

 in immense numbers about the coast villages and fishing stations, 

 semi-domesticated, and nesting in some cases at the foot of walls 

 of houses. The Eiders are strictly preserved during the nesting 

 season, and the "down-harvest" is a most important source of 

 revenue to many who live on the coast and rent the various 

 islands. I paid twenty shillings a pound (English weight) for 

 eider-down at Bergen. 



Red-throated Divers were frequently seen and the Black- 

 throated much less so. Altogether during the three weeks on 

 the coast I may have seen half-a-dozen Colymbus glacialis, 

 amongst them it is possible there may have been an example of 

 the western-arctic C. adamsi, numerous examples of which now 

 exist in some of the Norwegian museums ; regarding this western 

 species on the Norwegian coasts, see Prof. Collett's paper in ' The 

 Ibis,' 1894, pp. 269-83, and plate. Of the Arctic Gulls I saw 

 nothing, except a Glaucous Gull, a bird of the previous year on 

 the wing, off the mouth of one of the northern harbours. When 

 running up the coast and close in to the sides of the islands I often 

 saw various waders on the rocks and shingle — Oystercatchers, 

 Turnstones, Redshanks, Purple Sandpipers, Whimbrel, and Ringed 

 Plover, were all identified. The only Tern was Sterna macrura f 

 the Arctic Tern, very numerous in some localities. Magpies are 

 plentiful inland, and very familiar and bold. The Grey Crow 

 everywhere, old and young together ; some of the Grey Crows in 

 the north have the grey almost white, and in bright sunlight I 

 I thought had a rosy tinge. Ravens were in great force about all 

 the Arctic whaling stations. At Vadso during the eclipse, and as 

 the gloom thickened, a pair flew to and fro over the harbour, 



