16 EARLY INTEREST IN NATURAL HISTORY 



and one had no clue at first to the local names. At one 

 time I am told of a place, 7 or 8 miles off, where there are 

 many wading birds ; going there with full forces I find 

 there are certainly many Curlews. Another time I hear 

 of a famous lake, 20 miles off, renowned over the country 

 for birds ; every bird I ask for is to be found there ; 

 coming to it I find scarcely anything : it is an autumnal 

 rendezvous for Ducks and Geese. 



Mosquitoes, fleas, bugs, midges, dirty houses, no bed- 

 clothes, no bread, sour milk, reindeer flesh raw and as 

 hard as a board, are not luxuries. If you want to wash 

 they bring you the same little sour bowl out of which you 

 drink. All these little things make a bird-nesting ex- 

 pedition here very different from one when one leaves a 

 comfortable English house in the morning to return to it 

 in the evening. I find mysefl lose strength and spirits, 

 so that it requires some resolution to continue my 

 exertions. Now, however, I am in excellent winter 

 quarters, a clean house, capital cook, and every necessary, 

 and if I were to remain here next summer I should do 

 much more in the bird-nesting way, from the benefit of 

 experience both as to names, localities, and habits, 

 besides as to the best mode of keeping oneself in health 

 and spirits in the wilderness. But I think of going to 

 Spitzbergen. I am informed that a vessel goes from 

 Hammerfest occasionally to hunt reindeer and kill 

 walruses there. In the winter I propose to drive my 

 yulka with my swift-footed rein over to Alten and make 

 inquiries, and if I find it feasible, I shall certainly try 

 what I can do in Spitzbergen. 



It was the custom in those days for ornithologists to 

 attempt to defray part of the cost of their travels by 

 selling some of their duplicate specimens of skins and 

 eggs. Newton undertook to dispose of Wolley's speci- 

 mens, and the annual sales at Stevens' Auction Rooms of 

 the rarities from Lapland were events which attracted a 

 crowd of naturalists from all over the country. There 



