98 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



we at once made for them. These were much the largest we saw in 

 the district, but alas ! they had no islands. However, we added five 

 new species to our list on their shores, viz., Bluethroat, Scaup ( i pair), 

 Long-tailed Duck, Dunlin, and Red-necked Phalarope. A small flock 

 of the last did not appear to have finished pairing yet. On a large 

 mound near the principal lake were a number of sledges, some of 

 them laden with barrels of flour, others with skins, cooking utensils, 

 &c. These sledges had apparently been brought from the south 

 before the snow melted, when transportation is so much easier, and 

 left in readiness for the summer migration. We inscribed our names 

 with date of visit on some of the casks, and wondered what the 

 Samoyeds would make of these strange marks. The deep green and 

 luxuriant growth of the grass on the mound showed that the latter 

 had long been used as a camping-ground. There were a number of 

 fox-traps in the neighbourhood, similar to that shown in Plate 45, 

 and baited with trouts' heads. Hanging from some cross poles was a 

 quantity of reindeer meat which looked as if it had been there since 

 last autumn ; its condition did not tempt us to steal any ! Judging 

 from the height of the fox-traps and that at which the meat was 

 hung, we came to the conclusion that the depth of the snowfall on 

 level ground in an ordinary winter is from two to three feet here. 



Having satisfied our curiosity respecting the belongings of the 

 Samoyeds we took a straight line for camp, lying three miles from 

 the lake in a north-west direction. The day had been fine, but a 

 Scotch mist combined with a N.w. wind made it bitterly cold at night, 

 and when we reached camp the water bucket was coated with ice. 



We found a number of nests of the Red-throated Pipit and Lap- 

 land-Bunting during our walk. The former is quite the bird of the 

 district, and we very soon selected only those clutches which showed 

 well-marked variations. Whenever the eggs closely resembled those 

 of the Meadow-Pipit we either shot the bird or saw its red breast ; 

 but all were the Red-throated species; and I may say here that we 

 never identified a Meadow-Pipit in the country. Some of the eggs 



