THE LAPLAND ALPS. 319 



They take a little forked birch twig, 

 about a span long, which is stuck into the 

 snow perpendicularly by its divided end, 

 forming a sort of arch. A snare or noose, 

 made of packthread or horsehair, is then 

 fixed to the twig by one end, and placed 

 in the open space between the forks. The 

 thin curling bark of the twig, being care- 

 fully slit down at the outer side, curls in- 

 ward, and serves both to confine and conceal 

 the snare, by drawing it close to the branch 

 on the inner side. Such traps as these are 

 ranged in a line, about a fathom from each 

 other, in the birch thickets, brush wood 

 being laid from one to another, so as to 

 form a low fence. Now as the Ptarmigans 

 come running along, for they seldom fly, 

 they have no way to go but through these 

 snares, and ^ forty or fifty of them are 

 frequently caught at a time. 



This day I both heard and saw the 

 Cuckoo {Cuculus canornis), which the Lap- 

 landers call Geecka ; and also the great 

 fishing Gull with a grey back (Larifs 



