334 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



or two off, quickening his note to a continuous " giff-giff-giff." 

 Then all the young had to tumble along laboriously (for they 

 could hardly walk) till they reached the male bird, who tucked 

 them safely under his wings ; once or twice the female bird 

 appeared on the scene for a minute or two, when both would soar 

 in the air like drumming Snipe, and pitch down uttering a cry 

 resembling their Finnish name " Leero." The Wood Sandpiper 

 is known as the big " Leero," and Temminck's Stint as the little 

 " Leero." 



The Common Redshank (Totanus calidris) was only observed 

 once, when we saw a pair on July 20th at Keinovuopio. The 

 Finns did not know what they were. The Dusky Redshank 

 (T. fuscus) was first met with about thirty miles above 

 Kaaresuando, where they were common. By the beginning of 

 July they were all over the marshes, whither they had brought 

 their young from the fir- clad hills where they breed. We saw a 

 good many eggs of this bird at Kaaresuando, which breeds early. 

 The Finns call it " Reevat " from its cry, which, however, seemed 

 to us to be better syllabled " vikla," the Finnish name for the 

 Greenshank. The male in his sooty breeding plumage is a 

 beautiful bird ; but is not so much seen as the female. When 

 approached they both soar, hover, and stoop above one's head, 

 going through every conceivable movement in mid-air. Their note 

 is then a clear " tjew," and this sometimes goes off into a " kick- 

 kack, kick-kack" like a drumming Snipe when he is descend- 

 ing. The Greenshank (T. canescsns) was fairly common along 

 the river-side : when their young were approached they were very 

 tame and confiding, and would balance themselves on the top of 

 a post, or on the topmost twig of a bush, within a few yards of us. 

 Their cry " tjeuty " is wonderfully resonant. 



The Bar-tailed Godwit {Limosa lapponica) is known to the 

 Finns, but we failed to meet with it. 



The Whimbrel (Numenius phceopus) was very common ; and 

 in one place, a barren, terrace-like plain which skirts the rapids 

 for several miles, we found hundreds nesting. The Curlew (N. 

 arcuatus) was not seen. 



We were somewhat surprised to find the Arctic Tern nesting 

 on the Uoma, and on small islands in the lakes, where they were 

 fairly numerous, and were seen fishing everywhere. Their Finnish 

 name " Tirro " almost exactly reproduces their cry. 



