78 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



poking the two young birds up, they sitting on the edge of the nest to 

 bless him ; the distance was too great, however, for them to be seen as 

 clearly as I hoped they would. The old birds were about, very un- 

 easy, but keeping well out of shot. I have never known Ravens run 

 any serious danger in defence of their young. 



Large numbers of duck were on the sea as we returned to the 

 ship ; among them we noted Common and Velvet Scoter, Long- 

 tailed Duck (numerous), Eider, and Scaup Fnligula marila. I shot a 

 Glaucous Gull and saw several others, the first we had identified 

 clearly in this district. The bird shot measured 5 ft. 2 in. from tip to 

 tip of wing and 2 ft. 2 in. from beak to end of tail. Unfortunately four 

 more of them came to an untimely end that evening, not in the cause 

 of science but the " pot," as some of the crew took a boat down the 

 fjord and shot both them and some Long-tailed Duck, all of which they 

 afterwards declared were very good ! The Glaucous Gull is a fine bold 

 bird in his own country, and comes swooping down at you, apparently 

 with the idea you are shooting birds for his benefit. 



June yth. — Another fine bright day made us think that summer 

 really was coming. Many Willow- Wrens had arrived and were singing 

 in the scrub ; I thought I heard one yesterday, but was not certain. 

 I also saw the first Mealy Redpoll to-day, to identify. We landed 

 after lunch in search of geese, and worked up towards the gorge until 

 we were stopped by a stream too wide and deep to be crossed with 

 comfort. All the tributaries of the river were so swollen now with 

 the melting snow that it was most difficult to get over them without 

 a thorough wetting. Having carefully crawled nearly up a hill which 

 overlooked the most likely goose country on this side of the river, it 

 was distinctly aggravating to hear two geese come up behind us, 

 uttering their loud honks ; they at once alarmed two others who rose 

 in front just before we were able to see over the hill, and thus know 

 the point they rose from. We found a Redwing's nest with two eggs, 

 and also a Shore-Lark's ; so that the birds are beginning to lay at last. 

 The former nest was an old one, re-lined ; and was placed in the fork 



