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who was likewise a Dane. When he heard that I had come all the way from England to find 

 the 'Bo' of the Spilkraka (P. martius), he sent for his chief woodman to inquire what chance 

 there was of getting one. The woodman said that he had frequently seen birds throughout the 

 spring, and had in former years even noticed their ' Bo,' but that it was generally so high that 

 nobody could get at it, that this year a pair of birds were known to frequent the edge of a 

 clearing about four miles distant, and that, if we would accompany him early next morning, we 

 might possibly discover the object of our search. This was cheering intelligence, and caused us 

 to make an early start. Our way lay chiefly through a monotonous wood of spruce firs, very 

 uninteresting in appearance, and apparently destitute of any species of bird — so much so that my 

 heart misgave me as to the success of our undertaking. But on crossing the clearing (a square 

 of about 1000 yards), a Spilkraka was seen to slip quietly away from the upper part of a tall 

 spruce to which he had been clinging, and to fly towards the far corner of the square, where he 

 uttered a slight warning cry and disappeared. It took us a very short time to cross the remaining 

 space in the direction he had gone ; and it became speedily manifest that one object of our 

 journey was obtained. We had found the 'Bo' without any difficulty, on the skirts of the 

 clearing, where the ground was depressed somewhat below the general level ; and not far from 

 the edge of a marsh there stood the remains of an ancient birch some 30 feet in height, and 

 slightly overhanging towards the opening. Near the top on our side was a fresh hole ; but what 

 was more to the purpose, from within that hole there peered the unmistakable head and bill of 

 P. martius, gazing at the party without evincing much alarm. My first care was to prevent my 

 companion from blowing to pieces, at the trifling distance of ten yards, that head so temptingly 

 displayed before the muzzle of his gun. This point gained, a tap from the woodman's axe caused 

 the bird to retreat, when we commenced operations, pending which the old ones remained in the 

 vicinity. Sometimes they would come within gunshot, and then, as if alarmed at their own 

 audacity, swing round to the other side of the tree to which they might be clinging, poking so 

 much of the head forwards as to enable them to see what was going on. In this position they 

 would beat a rapid and angry tattoo upon the trees, and occasionally utter, in addition to their 

 ordinary cry, one of the most peculiar notes I ever heard from any European bird, and which 

 more resembles the sharp and momentary ring of a shrill-toned bell than any other sound with 

 which I am acquainted. We heard this note subsequently whilst operating upon another nest ; 

 but it appears not to be uttered except under great excitement, and then, perhaps, only by the 

 female. The entrance-hole was within two feet of the top of the tree, which was easily ascended, 

 the bark being very coarse. On examining it I found the edges much rougher than those of 

 holes made by P. viridis, the sides sloping slightly upwards towards the interior. In shape it 

 was elliptical, the horizontal being perhaps a fourth larger than the perpendicular diameter. 

 The roof of the cavity was quite honeycombed by the strokes of the bird's bill ; and this pecu- 

 liarity was noticed in the two nests subsequently discovered. The depth of the cavity below the 

 entrance-hole was rather less than two feet, which was quite sufficient to prevent my ascertaining 

 what lay at the bottom. An alarm that the old stump was giving way with my weight brought 

 me very speedily to the ground. The woodman meanwhile cut down a young spruce and had it 

 reared up against the ancient birch to prevent the anticipated catastrophe. He then went up 

 himself and laid open the nest (being able to do so with his hands alone) so far as to introduce 



