There are several sorts of these about Spiizbergen. Some of them have thin pointed bills, others have thick and broad ones. Some of these thick-billed ones have them divided or parted, as the mallemucken (mad gnats in English); others have undivided one, as the parret so called.

There is also considerable difference in the heels of these birds, for some of them have heels, as the mountain-duck, kirmew, and mallemucks; others have them not at all, as the burgermeister, rathsher, strundjager, kutyegehf, parret, lumb, pigeon, and the red-goose; no water sticks to their feathers, no more than on the swans and other water-fowl, for it runs off from them as if they were oiled all over. Some are birds of prey, others not. There is also a difference in their flying. Some flie like unto a partridge, as that called the pigeon; others, like swallows, as the lumbs and red-geese; others, like the mews, as the mallemucke, rathsher, and strundjager; others, like the stork, as the burgermeister.

The birds of prey are, the burgermeister, rathsher, strundjager, kutyegehf, and mallemucke. There is also a great difference in their flesh; the birds of prey are not so good to eat as the others, except you hang them up by the legs for some days, that the train-oil may run out of them, and the air blow through them; and then you do not taste the train-oil so strong, for else it would make you vomit.