8 
Prof. J. Reinhardt on the Birds 
33. *Loxia leucoptera (Gmel.). 
An adult bird, probably a male, dried up in the flesh, was pro¬ 
cured nearly thirty years ago at Julianehaab from.an Eskimaux, 
who brought it with him from the east coast on a visit to that 
settlement (Ichth. Bidr. p. 10). In later years another adult 
male and three young birds have been obtained in South Green¬ 
land. The specimens are in the Royal Museum. 
34. *Otocorys alpestris (Linn.). 
A single specimen was shot at Godthaab in October 1835, and 
presented to the Royal Museum by Holboll. 
Quoting this bird as “ alpestris” I certainly do not wish to 
suggest that it has been misguided to Greenland from “ the far 
east.” There can be, I think, no doubt that it is an American 
straggler; but having no American specimens for comparison, 
I compared the Greenland specimen with a male of the true O. 
alpestris shot in the neighbourhood of Dresden (Germany) and 
a female from Denmark, and I cannot find any material differ¬ 
ence either in colour or in size. I suppose, therefore, that the 
American 0. cornuta, which Bonaparte himself calls a species “ a 
peine distincte de YO. alpestris,” has been established without 
sufficient reason. 
35. * Ficus varius , Linn. 
I know of two instances in which this Woodpecker has been 
observed in Greenland. An adult female was found dead on the 
ground near Julianehaab in July 1845 (and, indeed, birds like 
Woodpeckers and Crossbills can hardly live more than a few 
days in a land without trees, such as Greenland). Another 
female was sent some two or three years ago from South Green¬ 
land, but I do not know exactly from what settlement. Both 
specimens are in the Royal Museum. 
36. *Colaptes auratus (Linn.). 
My authority for this bird having been found in Greenland is 
a German ornithologist, the Pastor Moschler, who mentions that 
he has received a specimen from thence in 1852 (Cabanis* 
Journ. f. Ornith. 1856, p. 335). Unfortunately Mr. Moschler 
gives no particulars about this very curious occurrence. 
fCoLUMBA DOMESTICA. 
