The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



145 



tremely difficult to distinguish from the surroundings. The last 

 mentioned behaviour is however by no means individual. I have 

 several times observed the very same birds making use of both 

 the plans. 



My observations seem to prove, that the inclination of the bird 

 to lie close on the nest increases as the incubation advances and 

 in severe weather. 



If the breeding bird is assured, that the nest is discovered, she 

 will soon be confident, sometimes incredibly fearless; this I often 

 observed when photographing the nests and the breeding birds. 



After some 10 minutes the bird approaches the nest, and 

 having for a while anxiously growling tripped around this, she will 



Fig. 8. Sanderling on nest. 



lie down on the eggs, which she thereafter immediately by some 

 Avriggling movements of the body will press against her breast. 

 Within a distance of one meter I could then take as many pho- 

 tographs of the breeding bird as I wanted. The bird proved onl}' 

 a little nervous at the moment when the apparatus clicked, but 

 generally she remained on the nest. 



July 3'"'^ 1907 I met on Stormkap Avith a breeding bird more 

 than usually confident. Having for half an hour stayed by the 

 nest on which the bird most of the time was lying quiet, and having 

 taken not less than 5 photographs of her I removed the eggs, which 

 had been brooded for some 10 days. Then the bird ran continually 

 close to my feet, laid herself on the empty nest now and then, got 

 up again and looked down into it; she plucked up the lining of 

 her nest by aid of her bill in order to assure herself, that the eggs 

 were really away. Several times again the bird laid herself on the 



XLV. 10 



