53 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



Mrs. Whitehead, the lady with the Swiss courier stay- 

 ing here, reports having seen five or six Lemmings 

 to-day. So there will be plenty soon. It is several years 

 since they were here, and as it is now past their time we 

 did not expect to get them. 



June 11. 



Sunday, the 11th of June, was a very warm day, and 

 the birch-trees are fast becoming green. We had a stroll 

 in the forenoon, and took a nest of Fieldfare's eggs, five, 

 of very large size. 



On the way back we encountered a Lemming in the 

 road. He did not try to escape, but sat up on his hind- 

 quarters, wdth his back against a rock, looking comically 

 ferocious, and keeping up a continuous volley of sharp, 

 angry barks. Alston had no difficulty in capturing him 

 with his cap. Ole says they usually appear in May, and 

 do not disappear till the following spring. In winter 

 they principally burrow beneath the snow. He has 

 seen cows catch them and eat them, and believes that 

 Reindeer do the same. If there is no wind they can 

 swim across Smedalsvand (about half an English mile). 

 I identified the feet found in Kestrel's stomach as those 

 of this species. 



We saw a Northern Titmouse (Parus horealis) to-day. 



We skinned the Eype, the Stoat, and the Lemming, 

 and saw and unsuccessfully pursued another Stoat, pro- 

 bably the mate of the one Alston killed, which was a 

 female in milk. 



Ole says there are ' Kat-ugle ' Owls up here, but only 

 in winter. 



Also he says he saw a Bat the other evening. 



Old ' Lars Porsena ' is to go to-morrow in search of 

 Eagles and Berg-ulfs. If unsuccessful he is to have 

 1 mark for his trouble. If lucky, 2 marks per egg, which 

 will not be dear. If the Eagle's nest is not too far away 



