BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY IN NORWAY 471 



avifauna, and in some parts of the world they have been domesticated. 

 Bratvaer (Smolcn) is just outside of Christiansund, a place situated 

 about midway on the coast of Norway. 



Although wild specimens, the four male eiders seen swimming in 

 Fig. G were so tame that they were coaxed ashore by having food 

 thrown to them. The three spotted individuals in the picture are birds 

 that are in the process of assuming their summer plumage. We have 

 in this illustration an excellent view of the character of the off-lying 

 rocky islands of this region. 



In Norway they do not have nearly the number of species of owls 

 that we have in our avifauna here in the United States, but still they 

 have a few interesting different kinds. As a matter of fact, in the 

 former country only about six or seven species occur, while over forty 

 species and subspecies are known to inhabit the latter. Of these one 

 or two are common to both countries, as, for example, the well-known 

 snowy owl, and others. Again the little Tengmalm's owl is a common 

 form in Norway, and we have a subspecific race of it in our avifauna. 

 While rambling through the pine forests of Eingebo, Gudbrandsdalen, 

 Professor Collett frequently met with Tengmalm's owl and obtained 

 photographs of it. One of the most interesting captured of this kind is 

 shown in Fig. 7. 



As every sportsman who has hunted through Norway knows, the 

 most numerous and important game bird is the ptarmigan, there desig- 

 nated as the ' rype.' It occurs in great numbers, not only on the 

 islands off the coast, but also in similar regions inland, that is, in the 

 fjelds region, or the birch and willow belts. Moreover, they are ex- 

 tremely plentiful on the treeless island of Smolen, in the bailiwick of 

 Nordmore, where recently they have been hunted with dogs, though 

 the former practise was to snare them. 



Several species and subspecies of ptarmigan occur in different parts 

 of the United States, principally in the northwest and through Alaska, 

 while in Norway the common form prevails — the Lagopus lagopus of 

 science. A beautiful picture of the nest of one of the latter is shown 

 in Fig. 8. The site selected by the bird was among the roots of 

 several gnarled and twisted birch trees, which are peculiar to the upper 

 birch forests where alone they occur, for, strange to relate, these same 

 birch trees grow quite straight and perpendicular in the lowlands, con- 

 stituting a difference I am at present unable to explain. It will be 

 noticed that there are but seven eggs in this nest, while a ptarmigan 

 may lay at least three more to complete the clutch. Ptarmigans are 

 white in winter, but tawny and mottled in their summer plumage, so 

 when the female is sitting upon her nest she harmonizes very well 

 with her surroundings. Professor Collett photographed this specimen 

 while she was sitting, but he tells me the picture is not a success. 



