356 STERCORARIUS LONGICAUDA. 
In 1862 arrived the long-expected Lemming-year, for which Mr. Wolley 
had looked in vain, as, in 1853, when he first began his operations in Lapland, 
the Lemmings and other kindred rodents were just disappearing, after having 
swarmed over the whole country for some two summers before. There had 
been signs of its advent in 1861, as the preceding entries testify, and warned by 
Knoblock of its approach, I directed him to despatch two of the best men he 
could to the mountain-region, and collect the eggs of Skua, Snowy Owl, and 
whatever else there might be of predatory birds. He accordingly com- 
missioned Martin Piety and Turi Aslagsen for this task, and right well did 
they justify his choice, as the following entries will shew. Not only did they 
themselves obtain many Skuas’ nests during the time they were out (nearly 
two months), but they incited many other Lapps to assist them, so that the 
search was carried on over a vast extent of territory, chiefly in Norway, but 
also in the adjacent parts of Sweden and Finland. Unfortunately maps 
to shew the places named below (many no doubt in Lappish, and miswritten) 
do not exist, and I am quite unable to allot most of them to any one of the 
three countries. This last, however, is not a matter of great importance. 
Nearly 270 eggs of Skaiti (Skua) were obtained, and the men were positive 
that they were all of one and the same species, which former experience has 
shewn to be Pient Skaiti (Little Skua, 2. e. Buffon’s). Not a single ege 
of Skuolfi (Snowy Owl) did they take. For that I had to wait till 1865 
(§§ 591-594), and then obtained it from another district. Beside the Skuas’ 
eggs which Piety brought back, a great number were taken to Erie, of 
Mukka-uoma, who sent them to Knoblock at Muoniovara. ] 
[§ 4723. Two.—Sioikatjaure-ranta, 10 June, 1862. 
Fourteen miles from Kautokeino, near Qvyzenanger. | 
[§ 4724. Two.—Narspeisi, June, 1862. 
Fifteen miles from Kautokeino, near Qvzenanger. } 
[§ 4725. ) 
Pata-antzi, 14 June, 1862. ] 
[§ 4726. Two. 
[§ 4727. Two.—Siaravaara, June, 1862. 
Six miles from Kautokeino. 
[§ 4728. Bide 
Siaravaara, 17 Jrme, 1862 | 
[§ 4729. reo N 
