303 



among the islands off Namsos, Nordre Trondhjems Amt, upwards 

 of 20 individuals in one spot, most of them no doubt immature. 

 A nest found in a neighbouring lake, July 9ti>, contained only 1 egg, 

 but slightly incubated. 



From the stomach of an individual, in winter plumage, shot 

 near Christiania Feb. 5»h 1872, were tåken the remains of Palæmon 

 squilla and a Gobius. 



Eti dy tes septemtrionalis , Lin. 



Distributed in great numbers along the entire coast-line; 

 north of the Polar Circle indeed, it occurs on almost every holm 

 and islet where a sheet of water is to be found, though but a 

 few square yards in extent. In the mountain districts of the in- 

 terior it is met with less numerously in the sub-alpine region. Re- 

 sident along the coast, but is not known to have been observed 

 in East Finmark during the winter-season. 



The lakes on the shores of which the young are hatched, need 

 not contain fish, the old birds fetching from the sea — never far 

 distant — a sufficiency of food. It is rare for more than a single 

 pair to breed on the shores of the same lake; but a small tarn 

 on the island of Tamsø in the Porsanger Fjord, West Finmark, is 

 a remarkable exception to the rule, being indeed, in that respect, 

 probably unique in Scandinavia. Here, on the 3«i July 1872, I 

 discovered along the banks, in the space of half an hour, no less than 

 15 nests, containing each 2 eggs; most of the eggs were in an ad- 

 vanced stage of incubation. This species being a noxious bird, I took 

 nine sets, which lay within easy reach. They were located not 

 more than two feet from the water's edge, and several lay on the 

 bare turf without the vestige of a nest. The tarn itself, in which 

 there was no fish of any kind, was literally covered with these 

 birds, and gulls, eiders, and geese. 



Both sexes share the labours of incubation. A male sitting on 

 the eggs of his mate was shot on the 30th June 1871. (Total 

 length 665 mm, W mg 305, culmen 58V 2 , tarsus 78, tail 52 mm). The 

 stomach contained fragments of muscles and fish. 



