BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 79 



of a birch tree which had squeezed the nest into an oval shape. The 

 tarns and lakes on the hills were now rapidly becoming free from ice, 

 although one at the highest point reached still had only a small piece 

 clear, in spite of the water being three feet higher than its usual level. 

 Two Black-throated Divers were here, and refused to leave for some 

 time : but it was certain they had no nest. On the return journey a 

 female Lapland-Bunting rose close to us, but we could find neither a 

 nest nor a mate. 



June Sth. — After breakfast I landed to photograph the Shore- 

 Lark's nest, found on the 5 th with one egg ; it now contained four 

 (Plate 3 2 a). The position of the nest is a typical one for this species, 

 being placed beside a tuft of dry grass, and having the upper edge of 

 nest level with the ground. In 1895 we found eight nests of this 

 species on various dates from June 24th to July 24th : of these five 

 contained four eggs, two had three, and one — that on July 24th — 

 only one egg. In 1897 four nests were taken, two of which contained 

 five eggs, one had four, and one three. The first was June 30th, the 

 latest July i ith. We only found one nest in 1899, which contained 

 two eggs on June 21st. In 1901 we were successful in securing three 

 nests with four eggs and one with two, the first taken June 7th and 

 the last June 2 1 st. From my observations during these four years I 

 think the Shore-Lark is one of the earliest of the passerine birds to 

 return to its northern home, and that some pairs commence breeding 

 directly the snow is sufficiently melted ; but the time of nesting varies 

 more in this species than in many other birds inhabiting the same 

 countries. On the same day we have found young birds and fresh 

 eggs; and that at a date when the latter could scarcely be a second 

 laying. This is not so with Fieldfares and others, of which, if the 

 traveller finds his first nest with young birds, he may consider himself 

 fortunate should he afterwards obtain fairly fresh eggs. The Shore- 

 Lark appears to make the hollow in which its nest is placed ; and 

 nine times out of ten it selects a spot close to a dry tuft of grass, the 

 colour of which harmonises well with that of the bird. 



