Excvrsion to the North of JSonvay. 233 



in the Porsanger^ being one of them. As no one is allowed 

 to land on the island, many species of birds found the ad- 

 vantage of the quiet sanctuary, but now that the Eiders are 

 everywhere protected they are much more widely distributed, 

 and other birds, having learnt that they are equally safe, do 

 not now throng to Storr Tamso. The island is government 

 property, and is rented at 89/. per annum. The tenant told 

 us that the down from about twenty nests would weigh a 

 pound, which sells there from 15^. 7d. to 16*. 8^/. The down 

 is collected about the last week in June, the date depending 

 on the weather. The island is divided into sections, and 

 men to the number of twelve or fourteen, walking in a row, 

 search the whole island ; they gather all the down they can 

 find, whether the eggs are hatched or not. 



Common Scoter {(Edemia nigra). Seen many times on 

 the sea. 



"^ Red-breasted Merganser {Mergus serrator). Generally 

 distributed. 



-f Willow Grouse {Lagopus albus). We saw a cock in full 

 winter plumage on June 10th near Aedfjord, and another on 

 the 24th in the Porsanger. The largest clutch we found Avas 

 ten. One of the nests, off which we flushed the hen, con- 

 tained three eggs, which were lying in quite an inch of water. 



^ Ringed Plover [jEgialitis hiaticida). All the nests we 

 found were at some distance from the sea ; patches of young 

 reindeer moss seemed the favourite nesting-site. 



-f~ Dotterel {Eudromias morinelhts). We found a nest on 

 June 22nd with three eggs, very distinctly marked, on the 

 summit of a high fell in the Porsanger, and shot the female 

 from the nest. It was placed between two patches of rein- 

 deer moss, a piece of Emjjetrum 7iigrum, and dwarf birch 

 (about 1^ in. high), and was lined with dead birch-leaves. 

 We afterwards saw two more birds; but a thick fog coming 

 on we were obliged to give over our search for their nest. 



Golden Plover [Charadrius pluvialis) . Several pairs seen 

 on the Lofodens. 



