BIRDS ON THE MUONIO RIVER. 329 



House Martins abounded in the neighbourhood of dwellings. 

 The Finns encourage them by placing laths under the eaves to 

 support the nests ; and we counted as many as seventy nests on 

 a single hut. In some places they were building in nest-boxes of 

 birch-bark. We met with the Sand Martin at Kaaresuando, 

 where it was building in the low sandy banks of the river. 



The Shore Lark (Alauda alpestris) occurs on the higher ground 

 towards Kautokeino in Norway, as does the Snow Bunting; the 

 magistrate at Kaaresuando had stuffed specimens, but we did not 

 observe any en route. The Lapland Bunting was one of the 

 commonest birds on the Uoma; they frequented the more open 

 parts as well as the willow-scrub, and the males in their glorious 

 plumage might be seen everywhere perched on a hillock, and 

 uttering their melancholy call-note, which resembles faintly that 

 of the Golden Plover. Several Reed Buntings were observed, 

 but no Yellow-hammers after crossing the border. 



Bramblings (Fringilla montifringilla) were extremely common, 

 and we found many nests, but most of the eggs were still fresh 

 at the end of June. Though heard all day long, the birds are 

 very shy, and seldom seen. The nest resembles that of the 

 Linnet. To compare it to that of the Chaffinch does not seem 

 quite accurate, for it never has the covering of lichen which is so 

 characteristic of the Chaffinch's nest. We found the lining to 

 consist invariably of an outer wall of white feathers (generally 

 those of the Willow Grouse), with an inner layer of white willow- 

 down. The nests were generally placed in the fork of a birch. 

 The eggs we found resembled those of the Linnet rather than 

 those of the Chaffinch, and were small for the size of the bird. 



The Mealy Bedpoll (Linota linaria) was very abundant, both in 

 the birch-woods and in the willow-scrub ; but by the time we arrived, 

 the young birds were flying about with their parents in the trees. 



In spite of the statement made in ' Yarrell' to the effect that 

 the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) has been observed at 

 Kaaresuando, we searched most carefully all the time we were 

 there, and failed to see one. As there are only twelve houses in 

 the village, we should hardly have failed to see this bird. The 

 natives said they had no birds round the house but White Wag- 

 tails and Martins, and, in the winter, Snow Buntings. 



We did not see any Pine Grosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator), but a 

 Finn who when a boy used to collect for Wolley told us that he 

 had taken a nest of this bird this year. 



