S6 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



of fish-manure the peat of the island receives every year, it is not 

 surprising vegetation should be so profuse. A few Eiders and a pair 

 of Richardson's Skuas had eggs — probably birds whose first nests had 

 been robbed; but the young of most species were now about in 

 various stages of development. All the Little Stints seen on the 

 28th had left; it is possible these were non-breeding birds. Of 

 course our examination of the island in the two hours ashore to-day 

 was hurried, and confined to the s.E. portion ; for sorry as we were 

 to leave this interesting spot with its thirty-eight species of birds, 

 many of them so abundantly represented, the ropes were drawing 

 us home, as sailors say, and we were anxious to catch a steamer 

 at Tromso that would enable us to sail for England on the 22nd by 

 the s.s. Eldorado. 



After a pleasant but uneventful voyage along the Norwegian 

 coast, we left our little steamer at Tromso, re-crossed the Arctic Circle 

 July 1 8 th — having crossed it going north May 17th — and arrived in 

 England on the 24th. It is scarcely possible that any one following 

 in our footsteps can light on such an equally unfortunate season ; 

 and there is therefore reason to hope that others will reap a richer 

 harvest in a normal year. Still we had met with seventy-six species 

 of birds, and found eggs of forty-four of them. And we had enjoyed 

 a most interesting time among visitors to Great Britain in their 

 summer homes, for only five of these seventy-six species are not 

 included in the British list. It is this last fact which adds so largely 

 to the charm of an ornithological ramble in the lands of Northern 

 Europe, lands which have an irresistible attraction for those who have 

 once known them, with their continuous daylight and invigorating 

 clean atmosphere, where letters, telegrams, and evening papers cease 

 to trouble, although there are mosquitoes. 



