Ramble in Lapland, 163 



the side of her nest ; several loud shouts had to be given before 

 she realized the position, and when she flew I secured her. 

 Her general plumage was a deep rich brown, the inside of 

 the mouth flesh- colour, the irides hazel. As it was impossible 

 to reach the eggs without a rope, we made our way back 

 through the snow ; and I well remember my first impressions 

 of the lovely song of the Blue-throated. Warbler {Cyanecula 

 suecica). Hearing the gush of melody from amongst some 

 scrub appearing above the snow-surface, and approaching 

 quietly, we presently detected the rich blue throat of this 

 handsome Warbler against the white snow. I certainly 

 think the song of this Warbler exceeds any thing I ever 

 heard ; at times it is soft and mellow as that of a Willow- 

 Wren, suddenly striking up to the angry hissing notes of 

 the Sedge-Warbler, and occasionally finishing with the most 

 astonishing metallic sound, a regular " twang, twang,^' not 

 unlike the tinkling of a bell — whether in mimicry or natural 

 song is diflicult to define. I noted that the Bluethroat, as 

 well as the Willow- Wren, were in full song at midnight 

 here. How strange it is that such an insignificant little 

 bird as the Willow-Wren should have such an extensive 

 breeding-range, nesting alike in tlie south of Spain and on the 

 North Cape ! When we returned to our boat to-night great 

 pieces of ice were slowly floating down the river from the 

 frozen reaches above. 



June 5th. Returned to the Rough-legged Buzzard's nest, 

 taking with us some thirty yards of rope ; but I failed to 

 secure the male Buzzard, although he was sitting on the 

 eggs when we got to the place. By a little manipulation Ave 

 managed to reach the nest, which consisted of a mass of 

 dead sticks about two feet thick, with a layer of solid ice 

 about six inches thick immediately under the new grass 

 lining on which the three eggs were lying. The nest was 

 full of " pellets,^'' consisting of a blue fur and small bones, 

 either of some field-mouse or the lemming, and was, I think, 

 the accumulation of years. Returning home that night, I 

 secured the male Bluethroat, singing in the same place as I 

 had seen him yesterday. A Hooded Crow's nest contained 



