BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 7 



splendid blackberries, reputed the best on the whole coast of Lapland 

 for size and flavour, which are sent to Kola and St. Petersburgh. A 

 peculiar kind of duck is found on the islands called Tupik, from the 

 obtuse formation of the bill." (On the Admiralty Chart these islands 

 are named Ainova Island or Great Heno, and Little Ainova or Little 

 Heno.) In reading up the description of the coast-line to be visited, 

 the above at once attracted attention. What were these Ducks with 

 obtuse bills which frequented the islands in sufficient numbers to be 

 mentioned in the Arctic Pilot ? Here was something evidently worth 

 investigating, and consequently Heno was the first point we made for 

 on the Russian coast. 



The best anchorage for a vessel like the Exjpres is in a small bay 

 on the south side of the island, except in s. and s.w. winds, and as the 

 wind was now n.w. we made for it. The beach was alive with birds, 

 chiefly waders, searching for food among the heaps of seaweed cast 

 ashore by the late gales. As stated in the above description, the 

 greater part of the island is covered with peat, on which grow dense 

 masses of crowberry Empetrum nigrum, now thickly studded with the 

 black berries of last year. A few small patches of dwarf sallow and 

 birch grow chiefly on the s.e. part, none of them rising above four 

 feet from the ground. Here also is the principal piece of fresh water, 

 a lake several hundred yards in length, which was now entirely 

 frozen over; Ducks, Gulls, and Skuas stood on the snow-covered ice, 

 looking very disconsolate. The peat was riddled in all directions 

 with the burrows of Puffins, but the holes were partly filled with 

 ice and snow, and showed no signs of having been visited by the 

 birds this year, nor were any Puffins seen on land. Many of the 

 holes had been dug out to obtain the eggs and young. Arctic Terns 

 were here in all directions, delighting us with their graceful flight. 

 Many seemed to be feeding on the aforesaid berries. Common Gulls 

 Larus canus were plentiful, and made as much fuss over two or 

 three empty new nests as if there were hundreds of eggs about. 

 Great Black-backed Gulls had also commenced their nests on the 



