223 



in its peculiar nature and habits, which awaken antipathy in them ; 

 a fate also shared by the Scolopax rusticola, which I have sonietimes 

 seen mobbed in a similar manner. 



3. Syndactyli, Illig. 



Coracias garrula, Lin. 



One of the two examples llist procured of this species, which 

 occurs only sporadically and is never found breeding, was caught 

 alive in Varanger (70°), in Nov. 1868. Another individual was shot 

 in the birch region of the Dovre, at Foldalen, in July 1872. 

 Cypselus apus, Lin. 



Occurs in small numbers north of the Trondhjemsfjord, but 

 was seen in several localities up to Namsos in June 1871. In 

 Nordland, it occurs from time to time, but not regularly every year. 



Nordvi records that a single individual was observed in Varanger 

 in November 1871, and found dead on the 15th of that month about 

 two Norwegian miles from Mortensnæs (70°). It is said to breed in the 

 south-eastern portions ofEnare, Russian Lapland, near the village 

 of Kyrre. 



4. Accipitres, Lin. 



Nyctea scandiaca, Lin. (nivea. Thunb.) 



Distributed throughout Finmark in the region of the fells, and 

 frequents even the larger of the rocky islands on the coast. 



In the summer and autumn of 1872, immense numbers of 

 My odes lemmas migrated south and north from the Dovrefjeld and 

 its ramifications ; also from the fells in Søndre Trondhjems - Amt, 

 whence they made their way along the frontier towards Jemtland 

 in Sweden. In these localities the number of snowy owls was 

 observed gradually to increase, becoming in the course of the 

 summer much greater than had been the case even of late years 

 under similar circumstances. 



The phenomena attending the occurrence of this species of 

 owl in such numbers have not yet been satisfactorily investigated. 

 No doubt its presence is partly owing to a temporary migration 

 to spots where its favourite food is suddenly produced in such 



