Ramble in Lapland. 169 



these birds^ male and feiuale_, were of the greyish-green type, 

 the male having rather more of the orange colour than the 

 female. It is clear that, although the scarlet dress is con- 

 sidered by some to be the adult plumage, this does not neces- 

 sarily imply that an immature bird cannot breed ; for if such 

 were the case here was a clear instance of two immature Pine- 

 Grosbeaks having a nest and eggs. The birds were roosting 

 within twenty yards of their nest, and when skinning the 

 female I took a third egg from her oviduct. I afterwards 

 found near Pulmak a male in full scarlet plumage paired and 

 nesting with an ash-grey female, and a third nest was occupied 

 by two greyish-green birds. The nest of the Pine-Grosbeak 

 decidedly resembles that of the Bullfinch, being constructed 

 externally of an extremely light network of thin birch-twigs 

 firmly interlaced into each other. This substructure is over- 

 laid by a lining of fine stiff grass, distinctly visible through the 

 network of sticks from below. On pulling the lining to pieces 

 an odd horsehair could be detected. The nest was placed in 

 a small birch tree, about six feet from the ground, and very 

 open. I was rather surprised to find the Pine-Grosbeak 

 breeding here, as I thought it was confined to the pine dis- 

 tricts. But I found several pairs of this bird breeding around 

 Pulmak, where is not a sign of any thing save stunted birch 

 and willow, and from their crops I took birch -catkins. We 

 had considerable difficulty in effecting a landing at Pulmak, 

 as, owing to a bend in the river, the ice had become congested 

 and piled up in great heaps, at least ten feet high, along the 

 shore. 



June 13tli. Pulmak, which is situate a little north of the 

 70ch degree of latitude, consists of some half-dozen Lap 

 settlements and one fairly comfortable inn. It is situated in 

 a bend of the Tana, which is here perhaps 400 yards wide. 

 Around are low fells, seldom rising to any great height, 

 thickly carpeted with reindeer-moss and clad with birch- 

 forest up to a certain level ; in many cases the hills are so 

 low that the birch reaches and crowns their summits. 

 Close to the door of our dwelling a pair of Wigeon [Mareca 

 penelope) rose this morning and I secured the drake, still in 



SER. V. VOL. 111. N 



