Ramble in Lapland. 179 



waste of reindeer-moss, thickly strewn with grey boulders and 

 stones and occasional patches of snow. It seemed to be a 

 real paradise for the wild and solitary Dotterel. On looking 

 over a ridge, we saw a grey-looking bird get up and quickly 

 disappear behind a knoll. On going to the place, there lay 

 the "triple clutch" characteristic of the Dotterel, laid in a 

 slight hole scratched in the reindeer-moss, without any lining. 

 Leaving Trinus at the nest, I went after the bird, which kept 

 running in front of me, and eventually rose, uttering a deep 

 croak-croak, which I never heard afterwards. After a con- 

 siderable chase I procured her, and returned to the nest. 

 The eggs were hard-sat. During the course of to-day I saw 

 many Dotterel. Once, when lying resting, I heard a low 

 pipe, and on looking round saw the fine chestnut breast 

 and white eye-streak of a Dotterel, which was sitting on a 

 stone close to us. We did not move, and presently two 

 others came running up. Golden Plovers swarmed, and 

 the notes of the two could be well compared ; that of the 

 Dotterel is similar to, but not nearly so loud as, that of the 

 Golden Plover. Once I watched a Dotterel running about, 

 till at length it sat down, and I felt sure it was on the nest. 

 Approaching quietly, I got within six feet of her, when I 

 perceived that the bird had gone to roost; her eyes were 

 shut, and she was fast asleep : it was a very pretty sight. 

 On looking at my watch I found it was midnight. 



Seated on the top of a high fell, some twelve miles from 

 Pulmak, the view was superb. Far as the eye could reach 

 this wild country presented a continuous series of rolling 

 hills, clad with birch to a certain level, the intervening 

 morasses being studded with numerous lakes and water- 

 courses, and in the hazy distance great snow-mountains 

 reared up into the yellow midnight sky. The sun shone 

 brilliantly, and, with the exception of the occasional low 

 pipe of the Plover and Dotterel, or the lively chirrup of the 

 Snow-Bunting, all was silent. Frequently, during the course 

 of the day, we observed small parties of six or eight Dotterel 

 running about together ; but they were wild and unapproach- 

 able, and I felt inclined to think that they could not be 



