210 
and what he calls a brown Snipe, which I surmise is 
Tringa canutus, the Knot. 
Lams ehnmens, 
which was found breeding in two places. So little has been 
recorded about the breeding of this species that I do not hesitate to 
enter somewhat into detail in connection with it. 
The Ivory Gull was originally described by Fridericlc Llartens 
from specimens obtained by him in Spitzbergen. Martens, ^vho 
was the first Katuralist to visit the Arctic Seas, has left behind a 
very interesting and faithful account of the animals, birds, and 
other creatures observed by him. His voyage to Sj^itzbergen was 
undertaken in the year 1071, and his observations were published 
in 1675, at Hamburg. Under the name of Rathsherr, or Coun- 
cillor, the Ivory Gull is described with sufficient accuracy, though, 
singularly enough, he makes the statement tlrat it wants a hind- 
toe. The plate which accompanies his book, taken in conjunction 
with the text, leaves no doubt as to the species Martens described 
under the name of Rathsherr. He refers to the gross feeding 
habits of this bird, and that it accompanies the Walrus on tlie ice 
to Teed off its dung. Martens draws attention to the note of the 
Ivory Gull being very like that of his Kirrmew {Ster 7 ia macrura). 
On the first occasion that I made a personal acquaintance with the 
Ivory Gull, I was much struck with the similarity of its cry to the 
Arctic lern, and I made a note to that effect, though at the time 
I was not acquainted with Martens’ prior observation on the same 
subject. At Cape Sabine, on the western side of Smith Sound, in 
jST. lat. IS** 45’, whilst our ships were detained by the ice, from 
July 29th to August 4th, 1875, Lieutenant Egerton and I visited 
the cliffs of Brevoort Island, around which we had observed some 
Gullshovering. They proved to \)Q Larns glanais ; and having 
moored our boats with some difficulty, we crawled up to the 
ledges now tenanted with young Glaucus Gulls, able to run 
briskly, but unwilling to trust themselves on the wing. Amidst 
the cries of the young Gulls, and the deep, angry voices of the old 
Burgomasters, who were making pretence of swooping at our heads, 
we heard a shrill note which we took for Arctic Terns, but on 
unslinging the gun from my back, and facing round on the narrov^ 
ledge, I noticed that tlie cries came from some six or seven Ivory 
Gulls, whicli were dashing about in front of the cliff. One of tlioso 
