July, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



107 



considered safe, as Summer was too near; the 

 use of "skiddor" was impractible on account of 

 the soft state of the snow; and the only means of 

 setting about was to struggle on foot, sometimes 

 sinking up to the arms in snow. The natives do 

 not move aliout at tliis season of the J'ear, hut 

 either remain indoors or make short journej's in 

 llicir canoe-like boats on the open water at the 

 mouth of the river. 



In rowing up to Gulholmen we had .seen several 

 Hocks of Duck sitting in the open water and on 

 the ice Hoes in the river. We accordingly got a 

 boat and went after them. They seemed to 

 swim very high in the water, with their tails well 

 up, and kept uttering a melancholy sort of note, 

 not unlike the mewing of a cat. On our aijproach 

 they rose, and a string of ten flying around us, I 

 mana.ged to drop five, which proved to be Long- 

 tailed Ducks (Iliirckla r/lacudii), already in Sum- 

 lucr plumage. Having landed to explore the 

 snow-clad hills, we made our way up a consider- 

 alile fell, and were idly throwing stones over a 

 precipice, when a Rough-legged Buzzard (Bnteo 

 liif/npiis) slipped away from nearly beneath us. 

 On looking over the crag we could easily .see the 

 large nest below us, containing three eggs, lying 

 on dry white grass. The old birds kept sailing 

 around, uttering a loud weird cry, but they 

 would not come near; so I hid myself and sent 

 Trinus away to attract the bird's attention. It 

 ■was a long Init pleasant wait. The evening was 

 very still, the air frosty, clear, and refreshing, 

 and on that dreary fell not a sound was to be 

 heard, save the occasional merry chirrup of the 

 male Wheatear. I made a note at tlie time, how 

 very much the initial notes of the Wheatear re- 

 semble those of the Merlin, and several times the 

 small Chat's clear voice was mistaken for that 

 of liis most deadly enemy. Suddenly aroused by 

 the rapid "swish" of wings close over my head, I 

 raised my eyes, and could ju.st sec the tips of the 

 tail feathers of the female Buzzard as she sat on 

 the .side of her nest; .several loud shouts had to 

 be given Ijefore she realized the position, and 

 when she flew I secured her. Her general 

 lilumage was a deep rich brown, the inside of the 

 mouth flesh color, the irides hazel. As it was 

 impossible to reach the eggs without a rope, we 

 made our way hack through the snow; and I 

 well remember my first impressions of the lovely 

 song of the Blue-throated Warbler (Ci/anecala 

 miccka). Hearing the gush of melody from 

 amongst sonae scrub appearing above the snow 

 surface, and approaching quietly, we presently 

 detected the rich blue tliroat of this hand.some 

 Warbler against llie white snow. I certainly 



think the song of this Warbler exceeds anything 

 I ever heard; at times it is soft and mellow as 

 that of a Willow Wren, suddenly striking up to 

 the angry hissing notes of the Sedge Warbler, 

 and occasionally finishing with the most a.stonish- 

 ing metallic sound, a regular "twang, twang." 

 not unlike the tinkling of a bell— whetlier in 

 mimicry or natural song is diffictilt to define. I 

 noted that the Blue-throat, as well as the Willow 

 Wren, were in full song at midnight here. How 

 .strange it is that .such an insignificant little bird 

 as the Willow Wren slioulil have such an extcn- 

 ,sive breeding range, nesting alike in the south of 

 Spain and on the North Cape! When we rc- 

 tiu-ned to our iioat to-night great pieces of ice 

 were slowly floating down the river from the 

 frozen reaches above. 



June 5th. Returned to the Rough-legged Buz- 

 zard's nest, taking with \is some thirty yards of 

 rope; but I failed to secure the male Buzzard, 

 although he was sitting on the eggs wlien we got 

 to the place. By a little manipulation we man- 

 aged to reach the nest, which consisted of a mass 

 of dead sticks about two feet thick, with a layer 

 of .solid ice about six inches thick immediately 

 under the new gra.ss lining on which the three 

 eggs were lying. The nest was full of "pellets," 

 consisting of blue fur and small bones, either of 

 some field mou.se or the lemming, and was, I 

 think, the accumulation of years. Returning 

 home that night, I secured the male Blue-throat; 

 singing in the same place as I had seen him yes- 

 terday. A Hooded Crow's nest contained four 

 small young to-day. Long-tailed Ducks kept 

 continually flying up and down the river, and I 

 saw two large Gee.se go up the river at night. 



June 6th. Dull and cold, like Winter. Oppo- 

 .sitc Gulholmen, on the other side of the river, is 

 a level expanse of snow, from two to four feet 

 deep, the stunted Birch trees rearing their bare 

 heads above it all, so that when walking through 

 the snow it is necessary to push one's way 

 through the tops of the Birch forest. In a few 

 places, however, the snow had melted, leaving 

 water holes, at the bottom of which grass could 

 be seen growing; and in these open places many 

 birds were seeking food, amongst which I recog- 

 nized Temminek's Stints (Tring/i temminck,) flying 

 about, with wings erect above their backs, utter- 

 ing a continuous "trilling" note, and then sud- 

 denly diving down into the scrub. They were 

 very tame, chasing each other about and mani- 

 festing signs of the approaching breeding season. 

 Next a pair of Lapland Buntings {Plectroplinnes 

 lappnnica) rose from a water hole, the male utter- 

 ing a clear flute-like song as he perched on the 



