29.8 



Of these countless millions, a small fraction only have nests, 

 most of the birds, though in full plumage, being immature individ- 

 uals, which do not breed before the third year, perhaps even later. 



Young in down of tnis species are easily distinguished from 

 those of other Lari by their light and almost unspotted dress. 

 Head and belly white with a pale yellowish tinge, back and scap- 

 ulars light greyish-brown with darker shades, from the fringes of 

 the down being light at tips and black towards the centre. Wings 

 whitish. The stomachs contained amphipodous crustacéans and 

 remains of fishes. 



Resident everywhere on the coast. In winter-time it visits 

 the southern fjords in large numbers. 



Lesiris catarrhactes , Lin. 



This species would appear to occur very sparingly on the 

 coast of Scandinavia, and no authentic specimen from this country 

 is to be found in any of the Norwegian Museums. 1 In West Fin- 

 mark, where perhaps it is not so rare, a solitary individual was 

 killed at Sværholt (Smf.), where it had been preying on eggs 

 and young birds for several days. In 1855 Professor Newton ob- 

 served an individual on the Vest Fjord (communicated personally); 

 and an individual is also known to have occurred at Helgeland, 

 in 1816. 



Lestris p omarinns, Temm. 

 I did not observe this species satisfactorily in Finmark last 

 summer, but it is said to breed in the mountain marshes of the 

 interior, both in West and East Finmark (recorded in letters, by 

 Mr. Nordvi). 



[ndividuals range far south in the autumn months, and have 

 been observed singly Or in small detachments, and also shot, in 

 most localities on the coast. 



Lestris parasittens, Lin. 



Common everywhere along the coast, but does not pene- 

 trate far Ulland on the southern fjords. Abundant in Finmark 



1 In the Bergen Museum thcre is indccd a specimen of the species marked «Nor- 

 way"; hut no j>arfi'ular localitv is assignod. 



