BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 31 



our anchorage at 11.30 a.m., we steamed down the fjord and round 

 the Ribatchi peninsula for Heno island ; but after passing Tzuip 

 point fog came on. The captain ran by compass till 6 p.m., when 

 some small islets showed close ahead, and as neither he nor the pilot 

 were clear what they were, we were obliged to put down the anchor 

 and stop there for the remainder of the night. Fortunately, there 

 was neither wind nor swell, so we lay in comfort. 



June 26th. — The fog having lifted in the early hours of the 

 morning, we reached Great Heno at 1 1 . As a variety of things were 

 wanted both for the crew and ourselves, I decided to camp on the 

 island while the steamer went to Vardo for them. Our kit was all on 

 shore and the tent up in less than an hour ; the spot selected being 

 near the south shore and close to a large pool which afforded a chance 

 for a bathe at last, while a snow-patch provided drinking water. The 

 weather was glorious, a cool pleasant breeze and brilliant sun without 

 a cloud in the sky. What a change in the aspect of the island since 

 our last visit nine days before ! Then the ground was hard frozen, 

 half its surface under snow, and the lake a sheet of ice; now the 

 water was sparkling in the sunshine, and scores of ducks swimming 

 on its surface. Some patches of marsh-marigold were in flower, and 

 others were pushing up both leaves and buds so rapidly, we could see 

 a distinct change in twenty-four hours. Large areas promised soon 

 to be masses of that beautiful yellow flower Trollius europa^^is, while in 

 others Archangelica officinalis was throwing up its new growths, and 

 already covering the ground in parts. This last plant grows so 

 luxuriantly here that it allows no rivals where it has taken possession, 

 and smothers everything over areas thirty or forty yards across ; some 

 of last year's flower stalks were seven and eight feet long. And the 

 birds too had not been idle, for we found the eggs of eleven species 

 during the day. 



For some hours after our arrival four Ruffs were playing on the 

 opposite side of our pool, one with buff collar, one with red, and two 

 with nearly black collars ; a great treat to both of us, as it was the 



