74 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
yellow, and much turned at the point, resembling 
that of a hawk ; they vary much in their general 
plumage and in size somewhat exceed the common 
gull. I saw some, having their breast and neck 
perfectly white, while others were entirely brown : 
from the ferociousness of the former, their fighting 
with each other, and from their never attacking 
those of dark plumage, I judged them to be the 
males, and the latter the females. Their flight re- 
sembles a running on the surface of the water, 
whence they are called by the Norwegians, Hav- 
hest, or Sea-horse ; and, Storm-fugt, or Storm-fowl, 
as being supposed to presage tempests ; the Dutch 
call them Mallmache, or the foolish-fly, from their 
number and their stupidity. They seldom come to 
the land, except when they lose their way in the 
mists, which are so frequent on the coast of Green- 
land ; and they breed in the broken rocks about 
Disco, remote from the main land. In the after- 
noon, I shot one of those very shy birds, the Laurus 
Glaucus, (Linn.,) called by the Dutch, Burgermeister, 
from its being the master of all other sea-fowls 
within the arctic regions. It is an elegant bird, 
builds its nest on high cliffs, and preys on cetaceous 
fishes and small birds ; it seldom strays far from the 
land, but is almost continually on the wing, and 
generally without any associate. Its bill is yellow, 
with an orange-coloured spot near the end ; head 
and lower part of the body white ; back and wings 
of a fine hoary grey ; primaries darkest, and tipped 
with white ; legs of a pale cadaverous hue ; length, 
