124 
The Life Sfnri/ of a Mrali/ Bedpnll. 
Our nearest neighbours were a colony of Red-wings but 
they were very quiet peaceable birds, quite unlike the Field- 
fares who are most quarrelsome and sciuabble and chatter all 
night long. On the opposite side of the lake there was a small 
encampment of Lapj)s, who In-ing their reindeer to the coa^t 
from great distances inland in the summer in order to pasture 
them on the hills or islands where they will not be tormenterl 
to death by the mosquitoes. But tliough the Lapps will shoot 
every bird that they can eat with their rusty old gims and 
though their dogs almost keep themselves on eggs in the nest- 
ing season, they do not trouble a1)Dut such small fry as Red- 
polls, so we went unmolested and, save when the dark shadow 
of a Hawk -owl or Buzzard passed overhead, we never knew 
what fear meant. 
The weather too on some days was really grand— quite 
as hot as it was last summer in Devon ; on other days we 
would have gales from the bitter north and fogs and rain and 
hard frosts, which in an hour or two would make most of the 
flowers apparently wither up. But not for long, as soon as 
ever the sun shone out again, the Trollius would lift its 
yellow blooms from the frozen ground as vigorously as ever. 
For Arctic flowers and Arctic birds are alike, children of 
the Northland and fear not its icy grip. 
Soon came the memorable day when we six young 
Mealies were. strong enough to balance ourselves on the edge 
of our nest and take our first real view of the wide world 
around us. Next day we were scrambling about among the 
topmost branches of our birch -tree and before long we could 
fly as far as the sallows by the lake and watch tlie Stints 
pattering alx)ut on the ooze and the Scoters dipping and 
splashing in the cool, clear water. Our parents could not 
spare time to look after us now, for they were busy with an- 
other nest, but we were not short of company for there were 
numbers of other young Mealies with w'hich we struck up an 
acquaintance, and, being as cheeky and indepie'ndeint as |you 
please, we much preferred to go our own way. We were not 
by any means all alike for, while our parents had grey rumps, 
most of the Redpolls round Lake Ukanskoe had white rumps, 
and I have since met other races .such as the big -beaked Red- 
polls from Greenland and the small -footed race, which, I have 
