Ramble in Lap/and. 173 



also brought me a peculiar open-topped nest, made of thin, 

 stiff, black roots, lined with dead leaves, and containing six 

 eggs of the Water-Ouzel : doubtless Cinclus melanogaster. 

 The nest was different from any of those of C. aquaticus I 

 have found in England, 



Later in the day, after a long and fruitless search, as Trinus 

 and I were resting on the edge of a half-frozen lough far out 

 on the fell, a pair of Wood-Sandpipers came from somewhere 

 and began to feed along the edge of the lough ; and whilst 

 watching them a Long-tailed Skua came past us with very 

 rapid flight. I must have been indulging in a quiet " siesta/' 

 when Trinus touched my coat and pointed to the lough, on 

 which, almost within gunshot, two large heavy -looking Ducks 

 wei'e swimming, their necks craned up, suspiciously watching 

 us. They bad just alighted, and although we were fully ex- 

 posed to view, they did not seem to understand what we were, 

 so motionless did we lie. Presently the lighter-coloured of 

 the two began diving, the otlier swimming restlessly back- 

 wards and forwards along the edge of the ice. Immediately 

 I moved, the cat-ice cracked under my feet, and the drake 

 took a long flight ; but coming high over my head, I killed 

 him, and the duck, rising at the shot, shared a similar fate. 

 They proved to be an adult pair of Velvet Scoters {(Edemia 

 fusca). These birds were evidently seeking a nesting-place 

 when I found them ; but so arctic was the state of the fells 

 and their lakes at this date, that I do not think either the 

 Velvet Scoter or the Long-tailed Skua had eggs when I left 

 the country in the beginning of July. 



A pair of Whimbrels [Nicmenius phaeopus) showed great 

 anxiety long before we reached their real breeding-place ; and 

 although they used every endeavour to allure us away, I was 

 most fortunate in walking right upon the nest and four eggs, 

 slightly incubated, in a hole scratched in the reindeer-moss. 

 Many pike were disporting themselves in some shallow lakes 

 far out on the fells to-day, often jumping right out of the 

 water. I shot one to see what it was, and it proved to be 

 about 2 lbs. weight. We wondered greatly how these fish 

 had ever got there, and what they did in the long winter ! 



