WILD-LIFE IN FOREST AND FJELD. 
285 
to collate the respective nesting-dates of some of the 
chief species at different points of their thousand-mile 
range. To this, quest we have devoted many spring- 
tides, but our own notes must rank in very humble 
degree compared with the patient investigation and 
accurate observation of one of the best of European 
ornithologists—Professor Collett of Christiana. 
First to foretell the coming spring, while an arctic 
winter yet holds full sway, the Siberian jay often has 
commenced laying in March ; the Jer-Falcon by mid- 
April ; Goshawks, TengmalnTs, and the Hawk-Owls by 
the end of that month—all these in Arctic Lapland. 
Except the Rock-Pipit, Ortolan, Raven and Grey Crow, 
I know of few other inland species that nest before 
May. I exclude from consideration the Crossbill, as it 
has been said to breed even in January—always by 
mid-February ; while in March, Wheelwright, in Werm- 
land, found more than a dozen nests, in all of which the 
young had perished of cold.* 
The following additional species we have found 
nesting on or before May 20 th—to wit: Golden and 
Sea-Eagles, Brown Owl, Great Black and Spotted 
* On this subject, Mr. P. Chaworth-Musters (to whom I am 
indebted for many excellent bird-notes, some of which are hereinafter 
referred to under the initial “M.”) sends me the following note : 
“ May 13th. Left Trornso at noon, anchored Kalso 4 p.m., two feet 
of snow on shore. Found golden eagle’s nest, but the eggs had been 
taken the previous day. Walking back across a small bog, my dog- 
put up a curlew from a hole in the snow. By chance I went to look 
and found a nest with four fresh eggs ; also found a hooded crow’s; 
nest with six fresh eggs in a small birch-tree. It seemed curious to 
find birds nesting in what appeared midwinter. On June 4th in 
Porsanger, I saw an old mallard-duck with young several days old, 
though the whole country was snowed up and every lake and river 
frozen solid.” 
