25 DAN MEINERTZHAGEN'S DIARY. 



do not differ from the British Red Grouse. 

 Professor Newton, in his " Dictionary of 

 Birds " says, they do not occur in the Arctic 

 Regions. 



April 1 8th. To-day being Easter day we 

 stayed quiet, and didn't go out with guns for 

 fear of shocking the natives. We never found 

 out last Friday was "Good Friday" till yester- 

 day evening, but I am sure we did enough 

 fasting, and had plenty of salt meat. The 

 Roman Catholic law allows one to eat Scoters, 

 which are counted as fish, but I should imagine 

 any one would prefer fish. 



There were some Yellow Hammers round 

 the house this morning, but the scarcity of birds 

 strikes one. I went out for a long walk, from 

 five to nine this evening through the pine 

 forests, and never saw one. The spring will 

 come all of a rush, and we are expecting it 

 every moment. It was still thawing to-day, 

 but it freezes every night. The snow is still on 

 an average three feet thick. 



The place is infested with fleas, and Bob is 

 quite mad, so much so, that he has made his 

 dog dislike him. My puppy, " Haali " (which 

 means "darling"), is a capital little dog about 

 four months old. 



April ipth. Still thawing. Went for a walk 



