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and those of the friends I had made the preceding year, telling me of the expected scarcity of 
food, and giving the general results of the nesting-season, goes on to say :— 
“<«T have still to tell you of Ludwig’s expedition with Piko Heiki to Sardio, on the Kittila 
river. It was early in June, and he had to wade over Pallas-tunturi up to his middle in snow. 
Arrived at Sardio, he found the lads there all at home, deep in dirt and laziness. He soon 
extracted from them the information that a pair of birds had been seen about, which they took 
to be Tuka rastas; and Ludwig himself had seen such a bird; and this bird’s egg was entered in 
TAY AMSt gee Ludwig immediately started off into the forest, and sure enough he saw a bird 
which he thought was Sidensvans ; but he was not quite sure, for the end of its tail looked white 
in the sun instead of yellow as in your picture*: but the next day, or in the evening, it was 
cloudy, and Ludwig saw the yellow; and now he had no longer any doubt. He said he would 
give all the lads day-money, and they must all search, even if it were for a week, till they found 
the nest. ‘They sought all that night and the next day till about midday, [when] a lad called 
out that he had found the nest; and there it was, with two eggs, about nine feet high, on the 
branch of a Spruce..... After five days Ludwig snared the old bird—a beautiful cock; and 
you may fancy with what pleasure I took it in my hand, and saw that there were no doubts 
remaining. Indeed I had before been pretty confident about it: Ludwig had written that I 
might be quite satisfied that it was the right bird. Martin Pekka had the picture with him at 
Sodankyla; and as soon as he came back Ludwig compared the bird with it, and made certainty 
doubly sure. ‘The other picture went to Gellivara..... I do not expect Waxwings in that 
quarter. You can fancy how eagerly I waited for Ludwig to produce the eggs. With a trembling 
hand he brought them out—but first the nest, beautifully preserved; it is made principally of 
black “ tree-hair” (lichen), with dried spruce-twigs outside, partially lined with a little sheep’s- 
grass and one or two feathers—a large deep nest. ‘The eggs—beautiful !—magnificent !!—just 
the character of the American bird. An indescribable glow of colour about them! Ludwig had | 
made for them such a box, that even if a horse trod upon it it would not break. He tells me he 
happened to say that they were most like ‘“‘Sawi-rastas” (Common Thrush), and any one wishing 
to cheat should try that. The report seems to have spread, without the name of its originator 
being given; for in a week or two after, the notorious Sallanki Johan brought a Korwa-rastas 
(Waxwing), “shot from the nest,” with its eggs,—the eggs being, as Ludwig at once saw, 
Common Thrush’s, The next incident was the arrival of Johan’s brother, the still more notorious 
Niku, but this time with a couple of young birds scarcely able to fly, which he had caught, as 
he said, out of a brood of five, by Pallas-tunturi. One of these Ludwig has stuffed, and a rare 
little beauty it is; the other was much knocked about, and Ludwig made nothing of it. Then a 
little girl, just ten days ago, brought three eggs from the other side of Nalima (about twenty- 
five miles from here), which she said were taken on a certain day in July, and were “AKukhainen.” 
They were undoubted Waxwing, but are very badly blown by her, as they were just hatching. 
At midsummer, Sardio Michel brought in a small batch of Sidensvans, with the birds (four in 
number) to each nest. So now I have a series, though but a very short one, of this rara avis in 
terris, this forerunner of famine—and of infinite value when one thinks of the uncertainty of 
“* This picture was one of several coloured sketches of different birds sent to Mr. Wolley by Mr. Hewitson 
and myself, to assist him in making known his wants to the natives.” 
