305 



Young in down (Folden Fjord, July Ist 1871): Entirely covered 

 with coal-black down; the bill and feet are also black. A young 

 bird, which I kept alive for a few days, feeding it on fish, would 

 run ab out with gre at facility, uttering the w hile a loud piping cry. 



As adults, they are equally expert in the use of their legs, and 

 will speed along the rocks of the shore for a considerable distance. 

 In the water, they will chase each other with uplifted head and 

 half-expanded wings, dive for a moment, and with bill wide agape 

 utter their whistling cry, not unlike that.of an Anthus. 



Fratercula arctica, Lin. 



Young in down were found at Stappen near the North Cape 

 on the 26th June 1872, most of the eggs, however, being still fresh 

 or but slightly incubated. 



Young m down, just out of the shell, with empty stomach, 

 (one of them had swallowed a long root of grass). Total length 

 155 — 160 mm, height of bill 12 mm, from nostrils to tip 10, 

 tarsus 17, middle toe 18 -f- 6 mm. Colour above sootty black, 

 breast, wings, rump, and inferior portion of neck greyish-black. 

 Vent and ab domen white. In the smallest example, a whitish streak 

 only extends along the sternum. The down being exceedingly thick, 

 long, and puffy, the young at this stage have all the appearance 

 of downy balls. 



Mer gulus alle, Lin. 



Occurs in Finmark" from autumn to spring, frequenting the 

 fjords up to March and April. 



Alca torda, Lin. 



As is no doubt the case with all other species of Alcidæ, this 

 bird does not reach maturity till the 2nd 5 possibly the 3rd year of 

 its existence. At Stappen, near the North Cape, every spot beet- 

 ling on the cliffs available for breeding purposes had been tåken in 

 possession, and yet myriads of the same species, consisting almost 

 exclusively of immature individuals, were scattered, like dust upon 

 the surface of the water. The eggs are frequently deposited at 

 so great a distance under stones as to be all but inaccessible. 

 Where the space is conhned, they are often laid so close, that 



Vidensk.-Selsk. Forh. 1872. 20 



