Birch of the Upper Muonio River. 81 



taking them over to the markets in Norway, where they 

 fetch on an average sixpence apiece. By imitating the hoarse 

 crow of the male or the mewing note of the female, the natives 

 manage to creep within a few yards, and the cheap Belgian 

 breech-loader does the rest. On warm days in the snow 

 these birds are very tame, becoming wild with the approach 

 of harder weather. When sitting the female is often very 

 confiding, and we took a photograph within three feet of one 

 without any screen. 



Lagopus mutus. Ptarmigan. 



Not common, but a few pairs are to be seen on every high 

 fell-top. Mr. Stares secured photographs of a sitting hen, 

 which allowed him to stroke her on the nest. 



FULICA ATKA. Coot. 



I saw a stuffed specimen in a house on the Norwegian 

 side in lat. 69° 20' N. which the owner had shot there. 



Grus communis. Crane. 



Muonioniska still appears to be the northernmost breed- 

 ing-limit of this species, as in John Wolley's day. It is, 

 however, occasionally seen up the valley on migration, and 

 one was shot at Koski-saari on the 7th of June. 



Eudromias morinellus. Dotterel. 



Fairly common in the mountain-districts, preferring flat- 

 topped hills with an elevation of 2000 feet or more. The 

 nests found were all in the vicinity of water, on flat moss- 

 covered uplands interspersed with small pools formed by 

 the melting snow. The birds were very confiding and 

 would run about within a few feet of us : we succeeded 

 in obtaining several photographs at a distance of only 

 three feet. They sit very closely and the nest is only 

 to be found by stumbling on it, unless the female is off the 

 eggs, when she may be easily watched on. 



./Egialitis hiaticola. Ringed Plover. 



Fairly common on the edges of such lakes as have spits of 

 sand by them. It arrived on May 27th in company with 

 Dunlins, Temmiuck's Stints, and Little Stints. Eggs were 

 found on the 30th of June on the point of being hatched. 



SER. VIII. VOL. V. G 



