BIRDS ON THE MUONIO RIVER. 333 



difficult to observe. We saw the eggs of this species, however, 

 at Kaaresuando, and a Finn who was searching for us found two 

 of the young in down. 



We obtained eggs of Temminck's Stint, as well as the young 

 in down. These birds frequent grass meadows in the neighbour- 

 hood of houses, and may be seen perched on stakes or trees 

 uttering a faint purre resembling faintly the note of the Dunlin. 

 The actions of the male bird (for we never saw the female) at the 

 nest were very interesting. He would sit calling on a stake till 

 he thought there was no danger, when he would fly down, hover 

 above the spot, and then skim back to the post. After repeating 

 this manoeuvre several times he would drop in the grass, when 

 his note changed to a quick continuous twitter. 



The Buff (Machetes pugnax) was very numerous in the 

 marshes round Kaaresuando, where we obtained eggs. As one 

 lay watching birds in the marsh they would keep passing and 

 repassing over our heads uttering a low croak. 



It seems the rule rather than the exception for the wading- 

 birds on the Muonio to alight on trees or posts, and we noticed 

 the following species continually perching, viz., Euff, Temminck's 

 Stint, Common, Green, and Wood Sandpipers, Dusky Redshank, 

 Greenshank, and Whimbrel. 



The Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus) positively 

 swarmed ; they were quite as common as sparrows. We did not see 

 many Green Sandpipers; but while we were at Kaaresuando some 

 Russian Finns brought us some Sandpiper's eggs which they had 

 found in a tree in an old nest of the Fieldfare; they said that the 

 bird was like the Common Sandpiper, but had longer legs. We 

 found the Wood Sandpiper (T. glareola) very abundant, and 

 handled the young in down. The alarm note is a continual 

 " tchick-tchick " or "giff-giff," generally uttered from the top of 

 a stake or bush. The bird will often follow an intruder long 

 distances to decoy him away from its young, which are of a 

 greyish colour, with a conspicuous black stripe down the back. 

 We watched one brood in particular for a long time on July 7th, 

 close to Kaaresuando. Having caught the young we placed them 

 first in one part of the marsh, then in another, lying down close 

 to watch them. The male bird would run excitedly in and out 

 of the tussocks, searching everywhere till he heard their feeble 

 chirp. Then he would run towards them and settle down a yard 



