54 DAN MEINERTZHAGEN'S DIARY. 



occurs in Alaska I am not certain. This would 

 go much in favour of considering the Palsearctic 

 and Nearctic regions equal to one in reality, 

 which has been termed by Professor Newton 

 " Holarctic." But possibly only Alaska need 

 be added to the Palasarctic region. 



The clavicles of the Hawk Owl do not unite 

 to form a furcula, but are only joined to the 

 keel of the sternum by a strong ligament. The 

 Barn Owl is apparently alone in having a 

 complete merry thought. 



May I4th. I left Muonioniska to-day in a 

 North-easterly direction, with a Finn staying in 

 the house, as guide. We went in search of 

 "Houkka," i.e. Hawks and Owls, and he car- 

 ried my bag which contained white bread and 

 butter and his own food, while I took my fishing 

 basket almost full of cartridges and skinning 

 and blowing apparatus, and I think, with the 

 gun and a heavy hatchet, I carried much the 

 heavier weight. Our first day's journey was 

 all through the forest. The whole way we 

 were accompanied by Siberian Jays, and saw 

 very little else. We came across a fresh dead 

 reindeer calf. 



At about eight or nine in the evening, after 

 reaching Sieppigarvi, which is 26 miles as the 

 crow flies from Muonioniska, we found we were 



