hen by C.P. THUNBERG in the _Transactions_ of the Swedish Academy of
Sciences for 1816 (p. 194), where it is stated that the homeland of this
bird is tropical America. It has since been caught a few times in
south-eastern Asia. Probably, like _Sylvia Ewersmanni_, it passes the
winter in the Philippine group of islands, but in summer visits the high
north. Like several other birds which appeared in spring with the first
bare spots it disappeared in July. Perhaps it retired to the interior to
breed in the bush, or, which is more probable, went farther north to the
islands or continents not yet discovered by Europeans, which in all
probability connect Wrangel Land with the Franklin Archipelago.

[Illustration: SPOON BILLED SANDPIPER FROM CHURCH LAND.
_Eurynorhynchus pygmaeus_, L. At the side the bird's bill seen from
above, of the natural size. ]

The higher animal forms which, along with the Polar traveller, dare
to brave the cold and darkness of the Arctic night, exert on him a
peculiar attraction. Regarding these, Lieutenant Nordquist has given
me the following notes:--

"The mammal most common in winter on the north coast of the
Chukch peninsula is the _hare_. It differs from the fell
hare (_Lepus borealis_, Lillj.) by its larger size, and by
the bones of its nose not tapering so rapidly. It is
generally met with in flocks of five or six on the hills in
the neighbourhood of the tents, which are covered only with
a thin layer of snow, notwithstanding the large number of
hungry dogs which wander about there.

"The _Arctic foxes_ (_Vulpes lagopus_, L.) are very
numerous. The common _fox_ (_Vulpes vulgaris_, Gray)
appears also to be common. A red fox, which Lieutenant
Brusewitz shot from the vessel in October, differed
considerably from the common fox, and approached the Arctic
fox. The food of the fox appears in winter to consist of
hares, ptarmigan, and lemmings. I have twice seen holes in
the snow about a metre deep and at the mouth not more than
thirty centimetres wide, which the Chukches said were
excavated by foxes searching for lemmings.

"Of the _lemming_ I have seen three varieties, viz. _Myodes
obensis, M. torquatus_, and _Arvicola obscurus_. There is
found here, also, according to the statements of the
Chukches, a little mouse, in all probability a Sorex.
_Myodes torquatus_ were got the first time on the 12th