BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 121 



breed. A large flock of Mealy Redpolls passed over the house in the 

 evening; while Red-breasted Mergansers and Whimbrels completed 

 our list for the day. 



On the 1 8th, our first visit was to the official in charge of the 

 forests, from whom we obtained shooting licences at a cost of 50 

 copecks each, the cheapest we had yet taken out. We then crossed the 

 Kola river to the east side, where there is a large stretch of low level 

 ground covered with birch-scrub and juniper bushes. A long ridge 

 extends behind this low land for some distance, on which a few 

 stunted spruce mingle with the birch. The whole looked good for 

 small birds and a number had already arrived, in spite of the heavy 

 soft snow which covered all the ground except in the most exposed 

 positions. A flock of about a hundred Bramblings passed close to 

 us, chiefly males. We noted also Redwings, Fieldfares, Wheatears, 

 Red-spotted Blue-throats (males singing), Reed-Buntings, a Merlin, 

 eight Hooded Crows, and several Willow-Grouse. The most interesting 

 birds we saw were a pair of Pine-Grosbeaks Pyrrhula enudeator on 

 the side of the ridge ; this species evidently breeds there as we found 

 in the low spruce several old nests which agreed with Wolley's 

 description. 



An old friend we certainly did not expect to meet at Kola was 

 the Rook Corviis frugilegus, yet there was no mistaking the solitary 

 specimen with its bare patch at the base of the beak. We constantly 

 saw it about the houses during our first visit, but it had gone on our 

 return in July. We also noted to-day Goosanders, Wigeon, Teal, 

 Spotted Redshank Totanus fuscus, and Greenshank Totanus canescens. 

 Lemmings swarmed in the town, and ran about or lay dead in all 

 directions. We were puzzled at first what had killed so many, until 

 we learnt that those destroying imps, commonly called " boys," spent 

 their time trying who could kill the most. It was certainly a year 

 for Lemmings, and these were on migration towards the north-west 

 as usual ; all those from the country between the Kola and Tuloma 

 rivers collecting here at Kola. The little animals had hugged the 



