ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 55 



headland, and the first Black Guillemot passed, flying low and 

 fast just above the waves. Late in the afternoon we came to 

 Aalesund. A stay of an hour and a half allowed of a hurried 

 scramble about the grey rocky bluff behind the town. Here a 

 Common Whitethroat was singing. Molde was reached at ten. 

 We took advantage of the lingering twilight to run up to the fir 

 woods. Robins were singing as we roamed through the forest, 

 collecting plants and vainly hoping to stumble upon a Fieldfare 

 colony. Next day, while passing the large island of Hiteren, 

 haunt of the Red Deer, the first Eiders were sighted. At Beian, 

 at the mouth of the Trondhjems Fjord, a White-tailed Eagle 

 passed us, and was assaulted farther on by two Hooded Crows. 

 Many of the latter species, with Common Gulls, were resting on 

 the stones and posts of the breakwater as we came into Trondhjem 

 Harbour. After visiting the cathedral there was time for a stroll 

 through the town and suburbs. White Wagtails were feeding 

 newly-fledged young upon the yellow-lichened roof of an old 

 monastic building. A Willow Wren was singing, and the Spotted 

 Flycatcher's note came from the black poplars. Magpies chat- 

 tered from trees across the meadow. A Chiffchaff sang from a 

 dingle below us, where in moisture and shade grew blue colum- 

 bine, meadow cranesbill, and a wealth of ferns. A Whinchat was 

 scolding as it carried food. Down by the shore many House and 

 Sand Martins hawked about, with Swallows in smaller numbers. 

 At 11 p.m. Robins were singing, and Swifts were still upon the 

 wing. The sun was out of sight, but clouds in the north-west 

 were still illuminated, and by midnight the short spell of twilight 

 was fast giving place to daylight once more. 



Next morning (July 10th) we left for the north in the 

 ' Vesteraalen.' As we ran down the fjord a Richardson's Skua 

 flapped low over the surface of the water. Just beyond Beian 

 there were hosts of Eiders dotted about amongst the low grassy 

 skerries. In the evening we were threading our way through the 

 narrow sounds of Vigten, amidst a perfect archipelago of islets. 

 Some of them were Eider-holms. One Duck, Eider, carried two 

 young upon her back. Oystercatchers piped from the rocky 

 strand. Upon two islands which were tenanted by Common 

 Gulls, the glass showed several young in the down. As we 

 passed Torghatten at eleven, sea and sky were still illumined with 



