226 О. HELMS. 
PINTAIL (Anas acuta acuta L.). 
Spidsand. 
Only once has the species been met with at Angmagsalik, Petersen 
having obtained a female which had been shot on May 14th, 1913. 
It stood by a current opening with another, much smaller duck; was 
very emaciated. The skin was sent home. The pintail breeds commonly 
in the northern parts of America, Europe and Asia, is numerous on 
Iceland, from which the specimen shot no doubt came. 
MALLARD (Anas platyryncha conboscas С. L. Brehm). 
Graaand, Stokand. Е. Gr.: Pikivanok = He who flies straight up. 
The Mallard is not uncommon as a breeding bird at Angmagsalik, 
even if only few pairs breed there; as a rule it seems to breed fairly late, 
Petersen having secured 8 newly laid eggs on June 25th, 1899, and 
also on July 18th, 1901; on September 27th, 1899, he obtained 3 barely 
fully-fledged young and on September 20th, 1904, an almost fully 
grown duckling. 
Otherwise it is met with at all times of the year, is apparently a 
stationary bird, and has been shot in all the winter months. In the 
bleak season it keeps to the current openings which do not freeze over, 
and there some of them are often shot. Petersen obtained 4 on January 
ard, 1905, shot the day before at Sarfak out of a large flock; on January 
17th, 1906, two, shot in Sarfakajik, and February 28th, 1914, no less 
than 6, shot at the current openings at Ikerasarsuak and Kasigiarmiut; 
at this latter current opening especially it is said that there were large 
numbers. On November 19th, 1924, he obtained one shot at a small 
current opening at the east end of Tasiusak, two having been shot. 
The skin of a male in nuptial dress, shot June 3rd, 1899, was sent 
to the Museum. 
The typical form of Mallard, Anas boscas boscas, is spread over 
the greater part of Europe and Asia; the one met with in Greenland 
is one that is characterised by its considerable size and different varia- 
tions in colour; the only skin sent home from Angmagsalik was clearly 
one of this species. On the west coast the Mallard is a common breeding 
bird; on the east coast it has not with certainty been observed farther 
north than at Angmagsalik. 
WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus islandicus Brehm). 
Sangsvane. E. Gr.: Kugsuk. 
The Whooper Swan, which is a common breeding bird in the most 
northerly parts of Europe and Asia, with Iceland as the nearest breeding 
