195 



which may, perhaps, be partly accounted for by their shy and 

 cautious habits. But in x the vicinity of Christiania, where they 

 have been more sought after, several examples have been procured 

 of late years; two males, for instance, werekilled on the 18th May 1871. 



In the breeding season the males are, as a rule, anything but 

 shy; they perch upon the tallest willows and sing their ever 

 changing song, variations being constantly introduced. The azure 

 throat, invariably with a centre spot of bay (only this form is 

 known in Norway), render it a highly conspicuous bird, easily 

 recognised at a distance. In both sexes the alarm note is very 

 similar to that of Saxicola. The 10th June 1872, I found on the 

 Dovre several nests, some of which contained incubated eggs; all of 

 the nests were underneath willow bushes, and were constructed 

 exclusively of the finest grass (Po a). 



A very peculair coloration marked the plumage of a female, 

 shot on the Dovre, July 13th 1871. In this specimen the chin 

 was blue blende d with whitish; the bre ast lightish brown, on the sides 

 bordered with a black band, spotted with white. Below the breast 

 there was a blue stripe margined with red. Though not a sterile 

 female (the ovarium contained eggs the size of a pea) this 

 individual was very like a young male. On examining the stomach 

 it was found to contain seeds and a Clausilia, exclusive of insects. 

 In the stomachs of examples (young birds and adults) procured in Fin- 

 mark were found only insects (Coleojitera, Tijmlidæ), and their larvæ. 



The size of individuals varies in a considerable degree; I 

 have measured old males with a total length of 148V 2J 152, 155, 

 and 160 mm. 



Erithacus rubecula, Lin. 

 Namdalen in June 1871 ; further north it occurs here and there 

 in Nordland, extending into the Polar Circle. 



Saxicola oenanthe, Lin. 

 Common along the whole coast-line. In Finmark it was numerous 

 both on the fishing-grounds, whither it resorts in search of food 

 among the fish drying on the .,Hjelder" (a kind of pole, on which 

 the fish is dried), and high up among the snow patches on the 

 desolate plateaus of the fells. 



13* 



