14 EARLY INTEREST IN NATURAL HISTORY 



been found. In Ducks he did better, but altogether his 

 results were meagre. However, he was anything but 

 discouraged. He resolved to winter in the country and 

 visit every house within a large district to make inquiries 

 and invite people to supply his wants. This he did most 

 effectually, and the following year he had Gyrfalcons', 

 any number of Buzzards', Shore Larks', and many other 

 valuable eggs of his own taking. Still Pine Grosbeak, 

 Siberian Jay, and above all Waxwing, all escaped him. 

 He came home for 6 weeks in August, 1854, and then 

 returned for another winter, working as before. In 1855 

 he pushed on to the Varanger, and then Hudleston and 

 I joined him. With him as our pioneer we did very 

 fairly, and returning home by Muonioniska we found 

 Siberian Jay and Pine Grosbeak had been obtained. 



The winter of 1855-6 he was at home ; in spring of /56 

 he went to (Eland and Gottland,* which proved a failure, 

 and then pushed on to Muonioniska, where the great 

 discovery of Waxwing had just been effected. There he 

 wintered, again in spring made a fresh incursion to the 

 Varanger or very near it got Buffon's Skua, and 

 finally Smew. Then he returned home, keeping up an 

 active correspondence with people in Lapland. In 1858 

 he went to Iceland. Then his health gave way and in 

 1859 he died. Still his seed bore fruit, and Snowy Owls' 

 eggs came to me in 1860 or /61 I forget which. 



I believe that not one half of his successes would have 

 been attained but for his persistently wintering in Lapland 

 and getting to know all the people of the country. At 

 the same time I am not going to say that for you it would 

 be necessary to winter in the Petchora. You have fewer 

 objects to attain and this extreme measure may not be 

 necessary. Grey Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, 

 and Bewick's Swan and Steller's Duck alone demand 

 your chief attention. He had not only all these to 

 inquire about, but twice as many besides. 



* " Led astray by a statement of Westerland that he had found Larus 

 minutus breeding in CEland, he wasted a season there ; otherwise he would 

 most likely have been on the scene when the Waxwing discovery was made. 

 A. N." 



