ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORWAY. 63 



Passer domesticus. — As Mr. Aplin remarks, House Sparrows 

 are scarce at Tromso. On July 14th I noted one in the street. 

 Three days later, as we touched at Havnaes on the U16, half a 

 dozen Sparrows were chirping on the roof of a warehouse by the 

 landing-stage, and next day we saw plenty at Skjervo. Both 

 localities are farther north than Tromso ; so that the reason of 

 their scarcity at the latter place does not appear. 



Emberiza citrinella. — Several Yellow-hammers were singing 

 at Lyngseidet as we landed, shortly after midnight on the morning 

 of the 17th. On the 25th I saw one amongst the birches not far 

 from Svolvaer. 



E. schceniclus. — Young Reed-Buntings, not long out of the 

 nest, were once or twice detected in hiding amongst the willow 

 scrub. Thus, on the 15th, there were some just able to fly near 

 the Lapp camp. 



Plectrophanes nivalis. — On July 13th we ascended the Floifjeld, 

 a hill lying opposite to Tromso just across the strait. It rises to 

 a height of about 2500 ft. Above the zone of creeping birch we 

 met with a great variety of small herbaceous plants of arctic and 

 alpine type, including almost all the characteristic species of our 

 Highland and Lake District summits. An Arctic Hare, in blue 

 grey summer dress, was seen for a moment as it stole away, and 

 amongst the grass were the runs and droppings of the Lemmings. 

 After gaining the shoulder of the hill, our way led over bare 

 stony tracts offjeld, with a very gradual rise towards the summit. 

 We had just passed a herd of about sixty Reindeer, when, as 

 we came to a more broken rocky part of the slope, the Snow 

 Bunting's call-note drew attention to a male bird of this species 

 perched upon a boulder. We soon discovered that there were 

 about two families of them,— the old cocks in full black and 

 white livery, hen birds, and young ones which had not long left 

 the nest. It has been remarked that, to one* who has only known 

 him in winter in the south, to come across the Snow Bunting in 

 his summer quarters is like making the acquaintance of a new 

 bird. Again, on July 25th, after a fatiguing ascent of one of the 

 mountains near Svolvaer, under an almost tropical sun and 

 through jungles of lady fern six feet in height, as we at length 

 gained the ridge and rested on its northern side, where in the 

 shade several large snow patches still lay unmelted, a twittered 



