SOME WANDERINGS IN THE NORTH OF FINLAND. 95 



awoke to find ourselves at last across an inky north sea 

 and in calm water, steaming tliKoiigh Norwegian fjords, 

 past hills which rose with steep slopes from the water, 

 whose tops were hidden in mist, on our way to Trondhjem. 

 Numbers of GruUs and graceful Arctic Terns kept close to us, 

 and every now and then we had the pleasure of seeing an 

 exciting chase between one of the Terns and Richardson's 

 Skua. The Skuas are pirate guMs which live by pursuing 

 the smaller sea-birds, until they disgorge their last meal, 

 which is at once devoured by the Skua. We were able to 

 see this done several times by the side of the steamer. 

 Wonderful dodging on the part of the Tern was of no avail 

 against the rapid flight of the Skua, who pursued like a 

 black falcon with a curiously shaped tail, of which the 

 middle feathers are much longer than the rest. 



Black Gruillemots, too, were abundant, with a white patch 

 on the wing and red legs, which you can see as the bird 

 leaves the water when the steamer is almost upon it. 



In the afternoon we had another most delightful spectacle 

 to watch. We were steaming steadily up the fjord at about 

 10 miles an hour, when we saw the backs of some porpoises 

 as they made their way towards us. And then for a time 

 several of these mammals of the sea kept close to the side of 

 the boat, racing along in evident enjoyment of the game. 

 Three of them kept absolutely together, and we could see 

 their noses ploughing through the water side by side, and 

 the glistening white of their bellies. Every now and then 

 one would roll over at the top of the water to renew his 

 supply of air. It was only after some minutes that they 

 were tired of the race and left us. 



From Trondhjem we went by rail for some distance b}' 

 the side of the fjord, looking from the train at hosts of 

 Eider duck on the edge of the v/ater. Presently we climbed 



