BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 141 



The grass was the first seen since we left Kola, and the telegraphist 

 sends men here every year to make hay, it being his only source of 

 supply. Although this was the first week in June, the grass had not 

 commenced to grow, but was still brown and withered with the winter 

 frosts ; our man burnt off the coarser parts, a forethought for which 

 we had not given him credit. Most of the houses were in a ruinous 

 condition exhibiting every stage of decay and dirt ; but that belong- 

 ing to the principal man showed more signs of comfort, and to it 

 a new room had recently been added, of which we promptly took 

 possession. A storehouse raised on four posts three feet above the 

 ground had a good padlock on the door, and the church shown on 

 Plate 56 was secured in the same manner; all the other buildings 

 were left with no fastening beyond a piece of string. 



Just as we arrived a Hooded Crow passed over and two Godwits 

 rose at it ; but they did not return, and a long search failed to show 

 any sign of a nest. These were the only pair of Godwits near Maselsid 

 this season; Mr. Witherby had seen several pairs here in 1899. We 

 saw one of them again on subsequent occasions, but it never showed 

 interest in any particular spot, and we came to the conclusion they 

 had been disturbed either by the Hooded Crow or the Raven, which 

 hunted over this district most days. A fine fox passed near Musters 

 while he sat watching for the Godwits, and went within a few yards 

 of a Whimbrel on four eggs, but the bird sat close and the fox did 

 not see her. 



A Short-eared Owl Asio accipitrinus came round the huts while 

 we were at lunch, and we saw it often on later visits. This was the 

 first Owl of any species we had seen in the country this year, a sur- 

 prising fact considering the number of Lemmings about. After lunch. 

 Musters went down to the large lake, where he counted over forty 

 Scoters, chiefly the common variety ; a pair of Wigeon were there 

 also, and two male Long-tailed Ducks fighting for a female. In the 

 marsh at the head of the lake a number of Ruffs were " hilling," one 

 of them in a beautiful white ruff. I turned towards the upper lake, a 



