52 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



three young and two eggs. Under the same stone as the first, and 

 within a foot of it, was last year's old nest. Some Red-throated and 

 Meadow-Pipits' eggs were nearly hatched. 



Then we went down to a long narrow lake which forms the head 

 waters of the Buskar river ; there were several small islets, but no 

 water fowl about, although we searched carefully with glasses from a 

 distance when we first sighted the lake. A Rough-legged Buzzard 

 had five young in a large dead fir, and stooped at my brother several 

 times when he was at the nest, coming within five or six feet of his 

 head. We had never seen this species make any attempt to defend 

 its young or eggs before. The eldest of the family took after its 

 parent, striking at Charles repeatedly with his claws. 



After dinner Einar rowed me to the head of the lake to change 

 films. Before landing I caught two trout about 14 inches long 

 with an artificial minnow ; long, thin, dark, ugly beasts with many 

 spots (some of them red), and they tasted no better than they 

 looked. 



July 1 1 tlu — A horrid day ! without one redeeming feature, except 

 our morning dip in the tarn behind the tents. We had soon deserted 

 the large lake for this tarn, for while both were shallow near the bank, 

 the bed of the former was made of boulders, while the latter was of 

 sand. Ivan had gone to the monastery after breakfast to arrange for 

 men and horses to take our tents, &c., back to the ship the next day ; 

 while we, accompanied by Einar, went to the head of the lake and the 

 country beyond on the west side of the river. The day was warm and 

 close, and those sweet little creatures, the mosquitoes, were out in their 

 thousands thirsting for blood. All travellers whom I have met, with 

 experience of both arctic and tropical mosquitoes, give the palm to the 

 arctic variety ; and it is indeed a mercy it does not appear to transmit 

 any germs beyond its own venom. After wandering for some hours 

 through the woods with no result beyond being bitten into a state of 

 fever, we made for the hills, the one idea in all minds being to start a 

 " smudge " (great smoke and little fire) at the earliest possible moment. 



