FIELD NOTES IN NORWAY. 13 



Starling, Sturnus vulgaris (L.) — Common in the lowlands. 



Jay, Garrulus glandarius (L.) — Very common at Naersness and 

 Laurgaard ; less so near Lillehammer. On the Dovre I did not 

 notice it. 



Magpie, Pica rustica (Scop.)— Very common and tame. Nests 

 in low trees close to the farm-houses, and passes a great part of its 

 time on the roof of outhouses or near the doors. Near Fokstuen 

 and Hjerkinn stations there were old nests, hut I saw no birds. 



Jackdaw, Coitus monedula (L.) — Common in the Gud- 

 brandsdal wherever there are cliffs. 



Hooded Crow, C. comix (L.) — Very common and tame all up 

 the Gudbrandsdal, but apparently less numerous after you pass 

 Laurgaard; not many noticed on Dovre. A bold and greedy 

 robber in Norway, as he is everywhere else, and near Lille- 

 hammer is estimated to destroy half the eggs that all other 

 birds lay. At Skjseggestad, in the Grudbrandsdal, I surprised 

 a crow in one of the ditches by the river feeding on the brains 

 of a warm and freshly-killed Water Vole. A Hooded Crow took 

 me for a corpse at Spurn last autumn but one, as I was waiting 

 at low water on the "clays," and came at me with a " caw" which 

 might be translated "hooray!" He lived just long enough to 

 repent of his mistake, but not long enough to escape the conse- 

 quences of it. 



Rook, C.frugilegus (L.) — Not uncommon, but far less plentiful 

 than in England. I do not know whether it forms rookeries in 

 Norway, but I saw none. 



Raven, C. corax (L.) — I saw one or two fly across the valley 

 at Lillehammer, and one at Laurgaard. A pair were often visible 

 near Hjerkinn, towards Gederyggen, where they may have had 

 a nest. 



Swift, Cypselus apus (L.) — This bird had not arrived at 

 Lillehammer up to my departure thence. I saw it two days 

 afterwards, on May 23rd, at Byre, in the Gudbrandsdal. At 

 Laurgaard there were many, but I saw none at Dovre. 



Great Black Woodpecker, Dryocopus martins (L.) — I only 

 saw one, just beyond Sels Vand, near Laurgaard, which I watched 

 for some time ; it did not feed, and seemed uneasy at the 

 presence of a Sparrowhawk, which absorbed all its attention, 

 and prevented its noticing me. When it was aware of my presence 

 within a few yards, it departed in a great hurry. 



