96 Mr. A. Newton on Mr. J. Wolley’s Discovery 
Ludwig snared the old bird—a beautiful cock ; and you may fancy 
with what pleasure I took it in my hand, and saw that there were 
no doubts remaining. Indeed, I had before been pretty con¬ 
fident about it: Ludwig had written that I might be quite 
satisfied that it was the right bird. Martin Pekka had the pic¬ 
ture with him at Sodankyla, and as soon as he came back Ludwig 
compared the bird with it, and made certainty doubly sure. The 
other picture went to Gellivara. * * * I do not expect Wax- 
wings in that quarter. You can fancy how eagerly I waited for 
Ludwig to produce the eggs. With a trembling hand he 
brought them out: but first the nest, beautifully preserved; it is 
made principally of black * tree-hair’ (lichen), with dried Spruce 
twigs outside, partially lined with a little sheepV grass and one 
or two feathers,—a large deep nest. The eggs—beautiful!— 
magnificent!!—just the character of the American bird. An 
indescribable glow of colour about them ! Ludwig had made 
for them such a box, that even if a horse trod upon it it would 
not break. He tells me he happened to say that they were 
most like ‘Sawi-rastas’ (Common Thrush), and any one wishing 
to cheat should try that. The report seems to have spread, 
without the name of its originator being given; for in a week or 
two after, the notorious Sallanki Johan brought a Korwa-rastas 
(Waxwing), f shot from the nest/ with its eggs,—the eggs being, 
as Ludwig at once saw, Common Thrush's. The next incident 
was the arrival of Johan's brother, the still more notorious Niku, 
but this time with a couple of young birds scarcely able to fly, 
which he had caught, as he said, out of a brood of five, by Fal- 
las-tunturi. One of these Ludwig has stuffed, and a rare little 
beauty it is \ the other was much knocked about, and Ludwig 
made nothing of it. Then a little girl, just ten days ago, 
brought three eggs from the other side of Nalima (about twenty- 
five miles from here), which she said were taken on a certain 
day in July, and were f Kukhainen.’ They were undoubted Wax¬ 
wing, but are very badly blown by her as they were just hatch¬ 
ing. At midsummer, Sardio Michel brought in a small batch 
of Sidensvans, with the birds (four in number) to each nest. 
So now I have a series, though but a very short one, of this rara 
avis in terris —this forerunner of famine, and of infinite value 
