254 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



The rough- legged buzzard (Falco lagopus, 

 Brunn. ; " fjosbent wrak," Sw. ; " biekkam," Lap.) 

 was by far the commonest of all the birds of prey 

 in the Quickiock district during the summer, pro- 

 bably owing to the quantity of lemming which 

 swarmed on these fells. Of all the hawks, I think 

 that this buzzard varies most in the shading of its 

 colouring, and I have remarked that the female 

 is generally lightest, becoming nearly grey- white 

 with age. But if the birds themselves vary, I am 

 sure we may say the same of the eggs, for I have 

 taken them of every shade, from pure white, to a 

 dark-brown blotched egg. It is almost impossible 

 to distinguish these eggs from those of the common 

 buzzard's, except that in general the egg of the 

 rough-legged buzzard is a little larger (but I have 

 seen the egg of the common buzzard as large), 

 and it has a rather finer and bolder character if 

 I may be allowed the term. 



They appeared on these fells as spring mi- 

 grants. The first I observed was early in May, 

 and the first nest I obtained was on May 21, with 

 three eggs ; and although I have obtained the 

 nest with five, and once even with six eggs, I 

 observed that three was the most usual number, 

 and most often sat on, and I have noticed that 

 three eggs is the usual number laid both by the 

 common buzzard and the kite. The nest, a coarse 



