Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/92

68 coloured ground. The locality given was Musvaer, behind Tromsö, and report said that in the whole colony, a large one, only one nest contains these red eggs each year.

L. canus.—The Common Gull appeared to be generally distributed, breeding upon the "egg-holms" in the sounds, about small pools upon the bogs, and on rocky islets in the lakes. Wherever we went, a few pairs cackled overhead. At Skjervö, on the 17th, I waded across the softest of spring bogs to a nest with three eggs. At the Kvalö pools several old birds were noisy overhead, and we saw two young ones swimming. On the lake behind Svolvaer two or three pairs had young ones just flying on July 24th.

Stercorarius crepidatus.—Richardson's Skua was frequently seen about the sounds and channels in the neighbourhood of Tromsö. At Grindö, on the 14th, I watched one amusing itself with a Common Gull, threatening it playfully. On July 20th, landing at Tisnaes on the Kvalö, and walking inland, we soon reached the moors already mentioned in connection with the Golden Plover. A Skua appeared on the wing some distance in front of us. Its long pinions and hawk-like flight reminded one of the Kite. It was evidently excited. After some search amongst the lichen and crowberry, my friend picked up a nestling Skua in dark smoky down, its quills and mottled scapulars just showing. The bird, first seen, which was of the lighter variety, tumbled about. It was soon joined by another, wholly dark. Both showed their flight to perfection, and were rather noisy. The young one was not in the nest, but the latter must have been close at hand. On the 23rd we noted a Skua of the light variety flying over one of the islets off Svolvaer. Another was chasing an Arctic Tern.

Alca torda.—At Tromsö, Razorbills were constantly on the move up and down the channel.

Uria grylle.—The same remark applies to the Black Guillemot. Several were noted on the 14th when we rowed to Grindö. On the 22nd, in the 'Röst,' we ran into the Trold Fjord, an inlet of the Raftsund, with grand surroundings. Here a few pairs of Black Guillemots were evidently breeding. Next day many were noticed in the course of a boating excursion to the islands off Svolvaer. Landing on a large rocky islet off Store Molle, we