ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 337 



wren, tlie lesser redpole, the tree sparrow, the 

 parrot-crossbill, and some other birds which I 

 could mention. In all those which I have named, 

 the differences existing between them and their 

 nearest relations in the same family are no more 

 striking than between the willow and the red 

 grouse, or the red grouse and the ptarmigan ; in 

 fact, in many, not nearly so striking, for their habits 

 in life are in almost every case the same. Much 

 as we may deprecate the foolish custom of manu- 

 facturing species, we should nevertheless be careful 

 how we fall into the opposite extreme. 



Of all the northern forest game the willow 

 grouse is by far the most common ; and, as they 

 frequent the low forests of fir and birch at the 

 bottom of the fells, often close to the villages, these 

 birds, and not the ptarmigan, form the principal 

 food of the northern settlers. In the winter they 

 are met with (at least in the Quickiock district) 

 scattered all over the meadows and low grounds 

 wherever the willow or birch affords them shelter ; 

 but, as spring advances, they gradually draw up 

 again into the forests. The pairing season took 

 place about the same time as with the ptarmigan, 

 but the female appears to go to nest a little earlier, 

 for I took the first nest (with eight eggs) on May 

 28. The nest — very artless and carelessly built — 

 is always in the forest or under the willow bushes 



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