8 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



north side of the island. Of Richardson's Skuas Stercorarius crepidatus, 

 there were ten or twelve pairs, the greater number of the light 

 variety ; they must have very comfortable quarters here during 

 the breeding season. 



Other birds seen on this first visit were Common Eider, Purple 

 Sandpipers Tringa striata^ Turnstones Strepsilas interpres, Dunlin 

 Tringa alpina, Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis, Lapland Buntings 

 Calcarius lapponimis, Snow-Buntings Pledrophenax nivalis, Oyster- 

 catchers Hcematopus ostralegus, Long-tailed Duck, Shag Phalacrocorax 

 graculus, Velvet Scoters (Edemia fusca, Herring-Gulls, and Black Guil- 

 lemots Uria grylle. Some bird must often make a meal off the 

 Puffins and smaller birds, as we constantly came across their feathers 

 and remains. Quite half the island was still covered with deep snow> 

 the only signs of renewed life in vegetation being a few angelica 

 plants throwing up their new growths. 



June 1st. — It was difficult to realise among our surroundings that 

 this was the first day of summer. In the morning a keen north 

 wind brought up a constant succession of snowstorms, and these 

 continued during the day; the sky thick and murky, and the 

 general effect like that of a bad day in an English February. 

 Although anchored under the lee of the island, the continual rolling 

 became trying after a time, and drove us on land in spite of the 

 weather. We went to the s.e. part of the island, where more grass 

 was exposed. The chief excitement of the afternoon was a Puffin at 

 the mouth of its hole, and it was clear, from the way birds of this 

 species circled over the island to-day, they were anxious to commence 

 nesting. We found the body of a Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca, 

 recently picked by Gulls ; the wing and tail feathers were heavily 

 blotched with brown. A Goose that had been feeding here rose at 

 too great a distance for us to determine its species, as did also two 

 Hawks. There were certainly more Lapland-Buntings than yesterday, 

 and far more than afterwards bred on the island ; in fact it soon 

 became clear this island forms a resting-place for migrants, which 



