PARTIAL MIGRATIONS. 11 



the reverse is tlie ease. The people here have the saying, 

 that if there be a southerly wind on Michaelmas Day, the 

 birds from the south country will come to us in large 

 ' packs,' and face for the fjiills, so that during the winter 

 great captures will be made ; but if, on the contrary, the 

 wind on that day be from the north, not only the birds 

 then in the country, but also those ou the fjiills, will Hy 

 away to strange places, and the fowler in consequence will 

 reap but a sorry harvest. 



" We ought to know the reason," this writer continues, 

 " why during certain years birds in our country appear in 

 such small numbers, whilst during others they are so 

 abundant. I will not go further back than the autumn 

 of 1715, when birds were exceedingly scarce in all their 

 usual haunts, but in the following year so very plentiful 

 as to fill all the woods, both great and small. Throughout 

 Jcmtland every exjierieuced fowler had a sledge-load to 

 sell. The same winter, or beginning of 171-7, birds were 

 of so little value that a hazel-hen, or a ripa, was exchanged 

 .on the market-place for a single fig ! The country people 

 had eaten so many birds as to be disgusted at the very 

 sight of them, and no one would buy game, because every 

 dealer who had taken birds to Stockholm for sale had 

 lost largely by the speculation. The succeeding winter, 

 that of 1717-8, not a fourth part of the captures were 

 made. My opinion in regard to the matter in question is, 

 that when birds ajipcar in Norrland in unusual numbers, 

 they must have come from other countries — from Norway, 

 Russia,* &c., for one then meets with individuals of an 

 altogether different size to ours. Many of the Capcrcali 



'' The notion seems pretty generally entertaineil both in Sweden and 

 Norway, tli.at some at Ica.st of the migratory Capercali in question come 

 from Siberia, where, Pallas tells us, a .small variety of this bird is foiuid, 

 at tjie lower Tnonguska river, and tn the lius.-^iaus kmiwii b\ a name, 



