BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 13 



shot birds, " that good " ; to eat them, " better " ; but he never 

 troubled what they were like. He said he thought no one in the 

 valley knew more about birds than he did. All we could learn from 

 him was that he had found a swan's nest two years ago by one 

 of the lakes above the monastery. The Russian also came, with the 

 middle cut (8 or 10 lbs.) out of a splendid salmon, as a "present." 

 He declined any payment, but I insisted on his accepting a bucket of 

 potatoes, also as a " present " ; whereat he laughed and patted his 

 stomach in anticipation of the good things to come. 



We went up the fjord to see what progress the open water was 

 making at the top end ; there was certainly more than a week ago, 

 but quite two miles of ice yet remained between us and it ; and there 

 was no passage along the shores, as is often the case with ice affected 

 by tides. Both male and female Ptarmigan were on the hill near 

 where we saw the latter on the 3rd; but no nest could be found, 

 although we searched a considerable area carefully. Five Redshanks, 

 feeding on the tide line, were the first seen here this year ; and the 

 first Hooded Crow passed near us. Our Russian friend also brought 

 us a Black-throated Diver, which had been caught in the salmon nets, 

 a not uncommon fate we afterwards learnt. A couple of Buffon's 

 Skua Stercorarius parasiticus, which I had shot right and left as they 

 rose from a low hill, turned out to be both females ; much to our 

 surprise, for they had been sitting close together and apart from the 

 others. The eggs in their ovaries were enlarging, one being slightly 

 more advanced. 



The 9th brought dreadful weather, a heavy north wind, constant 

 snowstorms, and fog; on such a day the cabin was the best place, 

 and we stayed there. 



June 1 0th. — The Finn women brought two Divers from their nets, 

 one a mature Black-throat, the other an immature example which, from 

 its yellow bill, was, I think, Colyrribus adamsi. Buffon's Skuas are 

 evidently gathering here in waiting, like ourselves, for the up-country 

 districts to be cleared from snow, as we counted sixteen this morning. 



