270 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



carefully, as the foliage of the birches was thick enough to hide them 

 somewhat effectually ; but their persistent song, if song it can be called, 

 was always in evidence. We spoke above of the Eedwing's persistent 

 song, but it was not a patch on the Brambling's for annoyance. A pair 

 had their nest within thirty yards of our tents, and for the fortnight we 

 stayed in that place that bird never ceased from uttering its rasping 

 note for more than half an hour at a time, even after we had taken the 

 nest ! All the nests we found, except one, which was built in a tv§§ 

 that had partially fallen down, were situated from ten to fifteen feet 

 from the ground, and generally in the main fork of a birch. They 

 were all extremely neatly and prettily built of fine grass, moss, lichens, 

 and feathers, almost felted together, and lined with white reindeer- 

 hair, which was to be had in plenty on the fjeld, where the deer had 

 been dropping their winter coats, or rubbing the velvet from their 

 horns. This species had only just begun to lay by June 25th, and we 

 got fresh eggs up till July 10th ; though on July 8th we found a nest 

 containing five well-grown young, the only nest of young we saw. The 

 normal number of eggs would seem to be four, though some had only 

 three, and one contained six. 



Snow-Bunting (PlectropJienax nivalis). — At one place on the fjeld, 

 where the top consisted of masses of tumbled boulders and small tarns, 

 we came across a few pairs of Snow-Buntings. They were breeding 

 amongst the boulders on the edges of the tarns. No difficulty was 

 experienced in watching one bird to her nest, as she was busy carrying 

 food to her young every few minutes, quite regardless of our presence. 

 We had to remove quite a number of large boulders before coming to 

 the nest, which was in a cranny about four feet from the surface, and 

 contained seven well-fledged young. 



Lapp Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus). — Without doubt this was the 

 commonest bird on the high fjeld, where alone it was seen, and where it 

 was generally distributed. They seemed to mostly frequent the swampy 

 hollows, particularly where the scrub willow and birch grew, although 

 they were frequently seen on the bare fjeld, if the ground was tussocky. 

 The cocks were always to be seen in their handsome breeding dress, 

 sitting about on the tussocks or scrub, or flying in the air somewhat 

 like a Sky-Lark, repeatedly uttering their call-notes. The hens were 

 not nearly so commonly seen, and were doubtless for the most part 

 sitting ; but, in spite of days of hunting, we never succeeded in putting 

 one off the nest. 



Mealy Bedpoll (Acanthis Jinaria). — We did not see this bird in the 

 valley, except in the woods at the lower end ; possibly in the vast 

 tracts of birch forest their presence was overlooked ; but out on the 



