114 BRITISH BIRDS. 
selection of more secure sites is a habit recently acquired, in conse- 
quence of the persecution of modern ornithologists. The following is a 
condensed account from the notes made on the spot by Harvie-Brown of 
the taking of a nest of the Rough-legged Buzzard Eagle at Valdersdal :— 
The nest was first visited on the 15th of June. The ‘Fjeld Orus’ rock 
was reached after a walk of about ten miles over deep snow-drifts. Early 
in the day the walking was easy over the frozen snow ; but later on pro- 
gress became more difficult, some of the party occasionally sinking up to 
their hips in snow. The ice had not yet left the lakes on the high fjelds ; 
and the appearance of five reindeer did not make the scene less winterly. 
Ayrived atthe rock, the male bird was seen sitting on a boulder at 
the top, and the female soon left the nest. Harvie-Brown fired at the 
male but missed him, and climbed up to within twelve feet of the nest. 
Whilst he was descending the female flew on again. The party then made 
a detour to reach the top of the nest, and one of them was lowered down 
with a rope, which proved too short. The female remained sitting; big 
stones were rolled down, crashing past the nest within a few feet of it, 
but she would not move. for two hours all attempts to dislodge her 
proved in vain, although two shots were fired, one bullet passing through 
the edge of the nest. All this time the male kept flying round at a great 
distance. On the following day the party returned to the nest with a 
longer rope, seeing the reindeer again en route. ‘This time the female 
flew off at once; and Harvie-Brown shot her whilst his collector, Lars 
Eraker, was attempting to reach the nest. In this he was unsuccessful. 
Six days afterwards they visited the nest with Peder Hongen, a more 
active collector. The snow was still perfectly crisp, and it was easy to walk 
on the high fjelds. Peder simply took the rope in his hand, and literally ran 
down the steep slope till he disappeared from sight. To the astonishment 
of all, off came a second female from the nest, the male bird having 
secured another partner since the previous visit ; and both birds were seen 
to get clear away. ‘Ten minutes after Peder’s head had disappeared over 
the edge of the rock, a shout from below announced that he had secured 
the eggs; and soon he was descried 300 feet below, at the base of 
the hill. The nest was a large structure formed of juniper-branches, 
and contained three well-marked eggs considerably incubated. The 
number of eggs varies from two to five. The nest is generally large, 
composed of branches of dwarf birch or juniper, and lined with thin 
wiry grass; but occasionally it is a mere hollow lined with grass and 
without any sticks. 
At Quickiock, Wheelwright describes the nest as often being placed on a 
fell-ridge and often in a tree; and at Muonioniska, Wolley and his col- 
lectors found them only on Scotch firs, some being taken as early as the 
middle of May. This difference in the habits of the bird is no doubt 
