2 SCOLOPACID.E. 



■was, the first ornithologist to discover the eggs of this Wudcr, modestly announces 

 his discovery as follows : — 



" ' I expect that henceforth the Spotted Redshank will always start up in my 

 memory at the first mention of Lapland. It is so peculiar to the country, so 

 remarkable in its appearance in summer, and so often calling attention to itself by 

 its striking actions — whilst my ignorance of its nest and eggs for a whole year 

 after my arrival in the far north kept up in me during that time the liveliest 

 interest concerning it. A bird with so much character was easy to talk about. 

 I soon found that it was known amongst the people by several names, all more or 

 less expressive ; and in my drives about Finland and into Norway during the 

 winter I had heard from so many quarters accounts of its nesting-peculiarities, 

 that I only waited for its retiu-n here to see them confirmed. It does not keep 

 one long in suspense. It comes as soon as the snow is off the ground, and lays 

 its eggs with very little delay. At this time one may hear a singular call in the 

 marshes, which the Finns express by the sound reemt, corresponding to a word in 

 their language meaning an evil spirit ; and one of the names of the bird is taken 

 from it — a name always spoken with a spiteful emphasis by Reindeer-stalkers ; 

 for this ' Riviittu ' is as mischievous to them as a Grey Crow is to a Highland 

 forester, or a Gull to a seal-shooter. But the cry with which it spoils their sport 

 is tjeuty; and from this another name is derived, generally coupled with the 

 .distinctive epithet corresponding to black, or with one meaning hurnt xoood; but 

 whether this last is taken from the colour of the bird, or from a common place of 

 resort for it, or from both, I am not sure. Certain it is that this black bird not 

 unfrequently lays its eggs in a part of the forest which has formerly been burnt ; 

 and here is one of its most unexpected singularities — a marsh-bird choosing the 

 driest possible situation, even hills of considerable height, and covered with forest- 

 timber. I have myself seen two nests so placed ; and one of them at least was on 

 ground which, from the charred wood lying about, had evidently been burnt at 

 some former period. They were nearly at the top of long hills, many hundreds 

 of yards from any marshy places, good-sized fir trees on all sides ; but they were 

 not in the thickest parts of the forests, and the vegetation on the ground about 

 was very scanty, diminutive heather and such like plants growing thinly amongst 

 reindeer lichen in slight depressions on the ground — placed near some little 

 ancient logs, so nearly buried, however, as to aff"ord no shelter, the bedding only a 

 few dry leaves of the Scotch fir. The bird sits sometimes so close that one is 

 tempted to try to catch it in the hand, its white back conspicuous as it crouches 

 with its neck drawn in. It either gets up direct or runs a short way before it 

 rises ; and then it flies round with an occasional tjeuty, or stands upon the top of 



