162 Mr. A. C. Chapman's Birds' -Nestinff 



stream, beyond wliicli it was impossible to go. The river- 

 banks and the fells above them were many feet deep in 

 snow ; the birch-forests were without a sign of leaf, and the 

 fell-lakes were all solid ice. Sledging on the frozen river 

 was not considered safe, as summer was too near ; the use of 

 '^ skiddor " was impracticable on account of the soft state of 

 the snow ; and the only means of getting about was to struggle 

 on foot, sometimes sinking up to the arms in snow. The 

 natives do not move about at this season of the year, but 

 cither remain indoors or make short journeys in their canoe- 

 like boats on the open water at the mouth of the river. 



In rowing up to Gulholmen we had seen several 

 flocks of Duck sitting in the open water and on the ice-floes 

 in the river. We accordingly got a boat and went after 

 them. They seemed to swim very high in the water, with 

 their tails well up, and kept uttering a melancholy sort of 

 note^ not unlike the mewing of a cat. On our approach 

 they rose, and a string of ten flying round us, I managed to 

 drop five, which proved to be Long-tailed Ducks [Harehla 

 glacicdis), already in summer plumage. Having landed to 

 explore the snow- clad hills, we made our way up a considerable 

 fell, and were idly throwing stones over a precipice, when a 

 Rough-legged Buzzard [Buteo lagopus) slipped away from 

 nearly beneath us. On looking over the crag we could 

 easily see the large nest below us, containing three eggs, 

 lying on dry white grass. The old birds kept sailing around, 

 uttering a loud weird cry, but they would not come near ; 

 so I hid myself and sent Trinus away to attract the bird's 

 attention. It was a long but pleasant wait. The evening 

 was very still, the air frosty, clear, and refreshing, and on 

 that dreary fell not a sound was to be heard, save the occa- 

 sional merry chirrup of the male Wheatear. I made a note at 

 the time how very much the initial notes of the Wheatear 

 resemble those of the Merlin, and several times the small 

 Chat's cle!ir voice was mistaken for that of his most deadly 

 enemy. Suddenly aroused by the rapid '"^ swish" of wings 

 close over my head, I raised my eyes, and could just see the 

 tips of the tail-feathers of the female Buzzard as she sat on 



