SPOTTED REDSHANK. 
327 
which the Fins express by the sound reevat, correspond¬ 
ing to a word in their language meaning an evil spirit, 
and one of the names of the birds is taken from it; a 
name always spoken with a spiteful emphasis by rein¬ 
deer stalkers, for the Rivatter is as mischievous to them 
as a grey crow is to a highland forester, or a gull to a 
seal-shooter: but the cry with which it spoils their sport, 
is tjeuty, and from this another name is derived, gene¬ 
rally coupled with the distinctive epithet corresponding 
to black, or with one meaning burnt wood; but whe¬ 
ther this last is taken from the colour of the bird, or 
from a common place of resort for it, or from both, I 
am not sure. Certain it is that this black bird not 
unfrequently lays its eggs in a part of the forest which 
has formerly been burnt; and here is one of its most un¬ 
expected singularities—a marsh bird choosing the driest 
possible situation, even hills of considerable height, and 
covered with forest timber. I have myself seen two 
nests so placed, and one of them at least was on ground 
which, from the charred wood lying about, had evi¬ 
dently been burnt at some former period. They were 
nearly at the top of long hills, many hundreds of yards 
from any marshy places, good sized fir- trees on all sides; 
but they were not in the thickest parts of the forest, 
and the vegetation on the ground about was very scanty, 
diminutive heather and such like plants growing thinly 
amongst short rein-deer lichen, slight depressions in the 
ground, placed near some little ancient logs, so nearly 
buried however as to afford no shelter; the bedding 
only a few dry leaves of the Scotch fir. The bird sits 
sometimes so close that one is tempted to try to catch 
it in the hand. Its white back is conspicuous as it 
crouches with its neck drawn in: it either gets up 
direct, or runs a short way before it rises, and then it 
