Birds. 2979 



blazing crackling fire, which shone in the doorway of our hut, nor the 

 dense smoke which arose from the holes in the roof, nor ourselves, as 

 we moved about to heap on the fuel, had any effect in terrifying him : 

 there he remained within a stone's throw of our hut for a quarter of an 

 hour, as if on purpose to give me a good opportunity of watching his 

 habits. He announced his arrival by a loud crow, which was very 

 harsh, gruff and prolonged ; then he ran about on the snow, in the 

 same manner as 1 have often seen a partridge do ; then he perched 

 himself on a piece of rock which overtopped the rest, and turning his 

 breast to the snow-storm, sat there for some time, as if enjoying the 

 cold wind and sleet, which was drifting in his face; just as one might 

 have done on a sultry summer's day on the top of the Wiltshire downs, 

 when a cool air was stirring there. Presently the hen bird arrived, 

 and then he began to crow again. I soon lost sight of her, for she 

 ran behind the rocks, and I saw her no more ; and soon after away 

 went the cock, flying off down the wind in a sideling way, and with a 

 whirring noise, and gave a parting crow as he went over the rocks 

 and was lost to our view. 



The Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis) . In relating the fore- 

 going anecdote of the ptarmigan, I have made mention of the great 

 desolate fjeld on which T passed a stormy night: the only birds that 

 I saw and heard during the two days and nights I was on that fjeld, 

 were the ptarmigan and the golden plover : the latter were in great 

 numbers, and so tame, that they would run along the stony ground 

 within a few yards of me, then fly a few paces, then stand and stare 

 and run along as before. It is very seldom that these pathless fjelds 

 are trodden by the human foot ; and this accounts for the absence of 

 timidity displayed by these birds. Our route was marked out (as it 

 always is in such fjelds) by small stones being placed upright on some 

 large conspicuous pieces of rock : these little pyramids of stone are 

 excelleut landmarks to show the way ; the snow does not obliterate or 

 conceal them, and being readily formed, they are numerous enough to 

 guide the traveller from one to another. Tt was while passing be- 

 tween two of these landmarks, that I discovered a nest of the golden 

 plover, placed right in our path : the nest was a mere depression of 

 the scanty grass, unprotected by bush, heather or rock : the eggs, four 

 in number, and with the small ends toward the middle (as is usual 

 with all the plover tribe) had been sat upon for some time : but I suc- 

 ceeded in bringing them away without damage, and they are now in 

 my cabinet. I know nothing more monotonous and melancholy than 

 the note of this bird, on a cold windy night, on the desolate uninha- 



