266 



have often seen it sweep along the ground with pendent wings, or 

 perch in the top of a willow. The femaies were never met with 

 near the nest or the veiing brood; indeed it would seem that the 

 males, partially at least, take upon themselves tlie duties of incu- 

 bation. The individuals killed on leaving the nest, or when guard- 

 ing their young (they were shot to investigate the fact), were every 

 one of them males, and had large incubation spots. From the 

 stomachs I took insects common on the sea-shore, larvæ of 

 phylinidæ, and fragments of quarz. 



The nests were for the most part found in the grass, in a 

 comparatively dry spot, and often in the middle of a cultivated 

 held; but are the young birds no sooner out of the egg than they 

 betake themselves to a wetter locality. The nest of this bird being 

 rarely built on the top, or at the side of a knoll, it is a matter of 

 great difficulty to discover one. The male will not quit his post 

 till you are within a pace or two of the nest. 



The breeding-season commences about the middle of June, 

 perhaps a day or two later. Young in down were observed on 

 Tamsø, July 3r<i, and in the course of the next fortnight, a brood 

 or more every day; but I found a nest of eggs at Kistrand as late 

 as the 7th July. 



Young in down, just dry (12 hours): — Total length' from 

 60 to 62 mm only, tarsus 16, culmen 77a mm - Coloration that of 

 7V. maritima and cmclus, The brown dorsal patch not very di- 

 Btinct, vent washed with brownish. In all individuals examined. a 

 black line extended from the base of the upper mandible to the eye; 

 traces of a similar stripe, stretching from the lower mandible down- 

 Wards under the eye, is sometimes visible, but this. perhaps, would 

 subsequently be found to disappear. 



Philo machus pugnax, Lin. 



Breeds scattered on the plateaus of Finmark, up to the North 

 Cape and Varangerfjord; indeed Finmark may be regarded as the 

 chief breeding-ground of the species in this country. The ruff of 

 the males varies in colour, from whitish yellow almost to black. 



Botn in 1871 and 187 >, I found this bird resident in the neigh- 



