ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 271 



Respecting the first, I cannot but express my sur- 

 prise that we did not find it at Quickiock, for the 

 nest has been taken both at lockmock and Gellivare, 

 and further north, near Munio; and I can only 

 account for the circumstance by the fact that the 

 forests just round Quickiock are too small. The 

 Lap owl is a true forest owl, and builds a large nest, 

 generally high up in a largish pine, in the very deep 

 forest. As to the Ural owl, a great mystery appears 

 to hang over this bird, and especially over its breed- 

 ing habits. By all I could learn, it is occasionally 

 seen near Quickiock. It is not uncommon around 

 Skellefteu, on the coast near which place I obtained 

 a fine specimen of a female on my journey up ; 

 and it is also said to be common near Lepsala, in 

 Lapland. 



In the district around Quickiock the great 

 shrike (Lanius excubitor, Lin.; "var fogel," Sw. ; 

 "utsah ruoscha garanas," Lap.) was by no 

 means common; and although we shot five or 

 six young birds when the season was over, we 

 only obtained one nest, containing five eggs. 

 This was on May 13th. We shot the old female. 

 The nest was placed in a small fir not high from 

 the ground. It was one of the warmest and most 

 comfortable nests I have ever seen, large and 

 deep ; built outwardly of dead fir-branches, and 

 lined with a very thick layer of the pure white 



