112 
hand, and may be knocked down easily 
by those on the whale, or in the boats. 
Though extremely fetid, the Green¬ 
landers account the flesh of the Malle- 
xnukke good food, and eat it either raw or 
dressed. The fat they burn in lamps. 
When caught, the Mallemukke not 
only attacks with its bill, but spurts the 
blubber out of its mouth and nostrils in 
the face of its captor. Their flight is 
a kind of race along the surface of the 
water. They build their nests on rugged 
precipices, and at other times seldom 
come to land. 
Larus Parasiticus, or Arctic Gull. 
Bill dusky, and much curved at the end: 
crown black; back, wings, and tail, 
dusky ; the rest white. The two middle 
feathers of the tail are three or four 
inches longer than the rest. The female 
is altogether brown. Length about four¬ 
teen inches. 
The Arctic gull lives almost solely on 
