324 THE BREAK-UP OF THE ICE 



whizzed over my head, and out of shot again before I 

 had time to turn round. I wasted at least a dozen car- 

 tridges before I secured a bird, which fell to the ground 

 with a tremendous crash. I saw another male hen-harrier 

 and another rough-legged buzzard, and a small hawk, 

 which I have little doubt was a merlin. On the 28th, 

 besides the flocks of geese, flocks of swans constantly 

 passed over, and I added to my collection a raven and a 

 female hen-harrier. At night, as we went to bed, the 

 thermometer stood at 25 on deck. My week's work 

 was about forty birds skinned and three new species 

 identified. We were all weary of winter. The peasants 

 told us that they never remembered so late a season. 



On Tuesday, the 2 Qth of May, we commenced our 

 sixth week in the Arctic Circle, and a very eventful one 

 it proved. The little wind there was was southerly, and 

 the sun was hot, but still there was scarcely any percep- 

 tible thaw, and the river rose but very slowly. I did not 

 see a single hawk all day. At noon the snow-buntings 

 were perched together in a birch-tree, and in the evening 

 they disappeared. I had two long rounds in the forest- 

 not a bird visible. I heard a mealy-redpoll, but failed 

 to catch sight of it. We seemed to be reduced to the 

 pair of hybrid crows nesting near, and the nutcrackers, 

 which I did not shoot because I wanted their eggs. At 

 that time they did not appear to have the least idea of 

 building. Their tameness was quite absurd ; there was 

 generally a pair in the rigging of the ship. About four 

 were usually to be found close to the house, and I occa- 

 sionally came upon a pair or two in the forest. A few 

 flocks of geese and swans passed over during the day, 

 now flying northwards. 



On the following day it was the old story again a 

 clear sky and thaw in the sunshine, with a cold north 



