HINTS TO SPORTSMEN, ETC., IN LAPLAND. 149 



Arsenical soap, on the whole, is the best preserva- 

 tive for the traveller, as a little goes in a small 

 compass, and in a tin canister there is no fear of 

 breakage. But he should also take up a pound of 

 alum and saltpetre, finely powdered, and mixed in 

 equal parts, to fall back upon ; in fact, I like this 

 preservative nearly as well as any other. A few 

 coloured engravings of the birds he most wants 

 he will find useful. I have often wasted half an 

 hour in trying to describe any particular bird 

 to a northern peasant, without avail ; but when I 

 showed the coloured figure of the bird, he has 

 recognized it immediately. Boxes for packing he 

 can procure anywhere — at least very good substi- 

 tutes, made by the Laps and settlers of birch bark; 

 these will do to transport his things down to the 

 coast, when he can get proper ones made. A 

 dozen egg-drills and tin blow-pipes will not be too 

 many for the egg collector. Above all things, he 

 should bring up with him a few yards of light 

 oil-skin ; it will be useful on the fells to rig up a 

 temporary tent, and will preserve his specimens 

 from wet in a boat. Tow and cotton wool he can 

 procure at any seaport town here, but he must 

 take all he wants up into Lapland. Whether he 

 be an insect hunter or not, he may as well bring 

 up a net, a few collecting boxes, and pins, for he 

 will meet with many rare butterflies, and they 



