BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 123 



Of course we could not leave a clutch of six Rough-legged Buz- 

 zards' eggs, so our first proceeding the next morning was to purchase 

 a good length of climbing rope from our friend Mr. Skjoerseth. Armed 

 with this we returned to the nest, and after securely tying our man 

 into a loop let him down to a small ledge by the side of the nest, 

 whence he could send up the eggs in a box. We then rowed up 

 stream to a hill on the opposite side of the river, and found another 

 nest of this species with six eggs. The position of the nest was also 

 one perfectly secure against all enemies unprovided with a rope, and 

 had been used for a number of years. As Musters wanted a specimen 

 for his collection he shot the female while I blew the eggs. On dis- 

 secting the bird an egg the size of a pigeon's was found in the ovary, 

 so that eventually there would have been seven in this clutch. To 

 obtain two nests of this species with six eggs in one day is a record 

 we cannot hope to beat. 



After packing the eggs I went up to the top of the hill (550 feet) 

 to get a view over the country, and saw a Gyr-Falcon come out from 

 under a projecting ledge near the second summit, the top of the hill 

 being divided ; as the others were waiting for me at the boat I post- 

 poned investigation till the next day. Sixteen Geese passed over us 

 to-day going up the Tuloma, and much ice was brought down by 

 that river last night, both facts causing us to hope that the condition 

 of the interior was improving. 



i/az/ 22nd. — Any idea of going to find that Gyr-Falcon's nest was 

 soon dispelled by the impossibility of getting a man to help to row the 

 boat, for this was an important saint's day, and the third this week 

 exclusive of Sunday ! How can a nation possibly make much progress 

 in its commercial life when it is blessed with so many saints as Holy 

 Russia. We suffered on several occasions from the saints, and so had 

 the subject brought home to us in a practical manner. 



Being thus confined to land, we walked up the high ground to the 

 south, to investigate the condition of the Kola river above the rapids. 

 As far up as we could see it was still all covered with ice, though the 



