330 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The Magpie (Pica rustica) has not at present come further up 

 the valley than Kaaresuando (lat. 68° 26' N.)» where a single 

 brood was hatched out this year. We saw Hooded Crows a little 

 further north, and Ravens all the way up the valley; but the two 

 latter species are said to increase in numbers in "Lemming years." 



We saw but one Woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor) ; the fir- 

 growth is probably too sparse to encourage them so far north, — 

 the northern limit of several species seems to lie between 

 Muonioniska and Kaaresuando. The woodwork of the church 

 in the latter village was bored with woodpeckers' holes. 



The Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) was heard on all sides. 



Probably from the scarcity of thick woods, we did not come 

 across a single Owl. We saw stuffed specimens of the Hawk 

 Owl and Tengmalm's Owl, which with the Lapp Owl are said to 

 be fairly numerous a few miles below Kaaresuando. In "Lem- 

 ming years" the Snowy Owl, the Eagle Owl, and the Short-eared 

 Owl are numerous on the higher grounds, but the Finns had not 

 seen any Lemmings this summer, and consequently Owls and 

 Hawks have been very scarce. We saw one Merlin, and a few 

 Kestrels. A Finn who collects eggs at Kaaresuando had several 

 clutches of eggs of the Goshawk, Peregrine, Rough-legged Buz- 

 zard, and of Falco gyrfalco. The Falcons, however, do not breed 

 in any numbers, being found more frequently in the mountainous 

 country round Kautokeino, in the Norwegian province of Fin- 

 marken. We saw T a Peregrine working over the Uoma on July 4th, 

 but apparently was not nesting. Goshawks are said to be fairly 

 plentiful where there are trees large enough for building purposes. 



We saw a good many Rough-legged Buzzards (Buteo lagopus) 

 on the upper part of the river, especially close to Kilpis-jarvi. 

 On July 21st, while rowing across a small lake some five miles 

 below Kilpis-jarvi, we heard a sharp whistle from the cliffs above, 

 which our Finns told us was the cry of a young Rough-legged 

 Buzzard. We accordingly landed, and after a climb of half-an- 

 hour reached the nest, which was built on a sheltered ledge above 

 a great slope of boulders. Ten feet above it was the nest of the 

 previous year, a substantial structure of twigs, some four feet in 

 diameter ; but the nest occupied was little more than a hollow 

 scraped in the soil with a number of sticks scattered uselessly 

 around. It contained one full-grown young one, with a good deal 

 of downy fluff adhering to the feathers, and unable to fly, a young 



