72 
Mr. J. Wolley on the Breeding of the Smew. 
any waj-; and on the lid being opened, there first appeared a 
well-written Finnish letter, of parts of which the following is 
an exact translation :— 
“ Matthias Lakso of Made-koski-kyla, on the Kitinen-joki, 
five miles (Swedish) from Sodankyla, has found on the Liesi-joki 
eggs of Uinilo, and has brought to me three eggs, on which is 
written a number like this.” [Here follows a facsimile of the 
figure 1 on the eggs. It appears from Hermelin’s map, that the 
Kitinen-joki, of which the Liesi is doubtless a tributary, runs 
into the Kemi-joki a little north of Sodankyla.] “ They were 
found on the 8th day of the Summer-month (June) 1857. Of 
an old birch trunk the wood was rotted away, and it was left 
hollow, forming a hole in which they were.” [The expression 
used involves the idea of the trunk being still standing.] There 
were two men in company, and the other man has given four 
eggs to the priest : there were seven of them; but there was no 
down brought. * * * * The Uinilo was also killed, and with 
the eggs it too is sent.—Carl Leppajervi. First day of the Hay- 
month (July) 1857. And the priest will send the four Uinilo’s 
eggs, if you send him four eggs of Kuukili ” (Garrulus infaustus). 
“ This Uinilo was taken to the priest, and he wants for it 20 
copecks.” 
The next, or probably the first thing in the box that struck 
my eye, was a stiff-necked skin of a female Smew, with hatching- 
spots on its under side; then I came to five or six much- 
injured eggs of Greenshank and other birds; and lastly, at the 
bottom of all, well-wrapped in tow, were the three Smew’s, 
blown each with two holes, which I afterwards found it safe to 
round off with a drill. The eggs rather staggered me at first 
sight, they were so like Wigeon’s. From time to time I held 
consultations over them. On comparing them with a series of 
something like fifty Wigeon’s eggs, I found that they were pretty 
nearly of the same size, though rather below the average. They 
were flattened at the small end more than any of the Wigeon’s, 
and they had less of the yellowish tinge about them, so that 
persons not much used to eggs could pick them out of the lot; 
but all these peculiarities might be accidental, though it seemed 
remarkable that any woodsman trying to pass off Wigeon’s eggs 
