158 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



and flew at us repeatedly, swooping close over our heads. Several 

 Wood-Sandpipers had also hatched off; we secured one family of four 

 young in down, not more than a day old. The next lake and marsh 

 a mile beyond yielded no better results, and the men said there were 

 no others within twenty versts. We saw another family of Hawk-Owls 

 here. More than a square mile of the wood had been burnt within 

 the last two or three years, and presented a most drear picture — 

 thousands of young trees stretching their withered arms to the sky, 

 and waiting for some kind gale to lay their dead trunks on Mother 

 Earth, where they might return to the mould from which they 

 grew. In most places the fire had only burnt the moss and charred 

 the trees for twelve to eighteen inches up their stems, but it had 

 evidently killed their roots, most of which run near the surface of 

 the ground. 



A trout, caught when recrossing the lake, was of a deeper red and 

 better eating than any from Lake Pulozero. 



June 26th. — There being no more marshes and no more Godwits, 

 we decided it would be better to return to Pulozero to-day, and left 

 Raz-Navolok at 1 1.45 a.m. When near the spot where we found the 

 Capercaillie's nest, both of us noticed a new bird's note, so distinct 

 that it attracted attention at once. Musters commenced to stalk the 

 bird, and shot it after some trouble in the top of a high pine. On 

 examination, we decided it must be an Eversmann's Warbler Phyllo- 

 scojms horealis, which was afterwards confirmed. Mr. Witherby did not 

 meet with this species, but Mr. H. Goebel records it as breeding in the 

 north-west and Kola districts. I caught four good trout on Lake 

 Pereyaver, and touched seven more while rowing down Lake Kolozero, 

 but none of these were hooked ; it was little use to fish after 9 p.m. 

 We stopped to explore three small islands at the upper end of Lake 

 Pereyaver, and found on the first one a Velvet Scoter's nest with five 

 fresh eggs, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull's with two, nearly hatching. 

 Two Willow-Grouse were here, but the only nest we could find was a 

 year old and contained nine egg-shells. A pair of Grey-headed Wag- 



