264 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



stay there two Wolves were seen, fairly fresh Bear droppings were 

 found near the river and on the fjeld, Reindeer spoor was seen 

 in a wet place, so recent that the muddy water had not yet settled 

 in the hoof marks. 



The fjeld on either side above the level of the trees is quite 

 bare, the only growth being Reindeer moss and creeping birch, 

 with the small arctic plants and grasses. Here and there in 

 the marshy hollows are a few scrub birches or willow, with 

 rarely a larger patch of the same and a piece of tussocky bog. 

 Of tarns there are very few, as a glance at the map indicates, 

 until the region above and to the south of the lakes is reached ; 

 here the character of the fjeld changes, and from being flat or 

 gently sloping becomes broken up into little hills and hollows, 

 the ground becoming more bare and boulder-strewn ; the hollows 

 are occupied by small tarns, which are deep, rocky, and with 

 boulder-strewn margins, devoid of any vegetation. A few Snow- 

 Buntings breed among the boulders, and there are a fair number 

 of Common Redshanks on the fjeld near, otherwise this region 

 is practically devoid of bird life. This was disappointing, as 

 from looking at the map this would appear to be a particularly 

 favourable place for waders and Ducks of all kinds. 



Along the river, a single pair of Ringed Plover, a few Common 

 Sandpipers and Redshanks, Fieldfares and Redwings, with an 

 occasional Merganser or Dipper, were practically the only birds 

 seen. 



In the woods, the only common bird was the Willow-Wren ; 

 Fieldfares, and Bramblings were fairly common, Redwings less 

 so ; White Wagtails, Blue-headed Wagtails, Meadow Pipits, and 

 Blue-throats were seen occasionally, while the Siberian Jay, 

 Great Grey Shrike, Osprey, and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 

 were each seen once or twice. 



On the fjeld, the commonest and most generally distributed 

 birds were the Lapp Bunting and Golden Plover ; while the 

 Meadow Pipit, Wheatear, Shore Lark, Whimbrel, and Redshank 

 were locally fairly common, with here and there a single pair of 

 Dotterel. In the willow scrub thickets the Mealy Redpoll, 

 Redwing, Blue-throat, Lapp Bunting, and Red-throated Pipit 

 were found, though none of them, anywhere, in any number. 



