Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/528

500 pecker, Picus martius. Last year we saw many of these birds near Rovaniemi, but during this summer, although we passed through a great deal more country, we did not hear or see a single specimen. Picus major was abundant, and we on several occasions heard and sometimes had glimpses of a bird which was no doubt P. minor. One day, too, between Muonioniska and Kittila, a male Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides tridactylis, flew to a pine tree only a few yards off, and gave us a most excellent view of himself. Frequently, too, in the forest, Siberian Jays, Perisoreus infaustus, would come round to inspect us, flying with noiseless flight from tree to tree, and making at times curious though not unmusical sounds.

The country near Muonioniska seems to be much visited by collectors, for we found several of the natives with nests and eggs which they wished to sell. In a large swamp in this district, into which we wandered through losing our path, we saw two Cranes, Grus communis, which flew about uttering discordant cries—perhaps it was the swamp in which Wolley found them breeding—and on Aug. 26th, near Tervola, we saw three more of the same species migrating southwards.

We were not fortunate enough to see a flock of Waxwings, Ampelis garrulus, again, but as we were following a road near Rovaniemi one bird perched on the top of a pine close to us, and remained there a short time chattering in his curious way.

By the river banks, and in the clearings near the farms, were many Wagtails of three species (Motacilla alba, M.flava, Budytes borealis). A young M. flava was shot on Aug. 19th, only twenty-five miles south of Kittila. The Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, was very common throughout our walk.

We reached Rovaniemi a week later than last year, and found the river crowded with logs, which seemed to have driven many of the Ducks away. Chiffchaffs, Phylloscopus collybita, were there singing again after their moult. On our way southwards from Rovaniemi we saw a Great Grey Shrike, Lanius excubitor, very near the place where we saw one last year, but he flew off before we could decide to which of the two races he belonged.

We were especially pleased to make sure of a bird which we unwittingly included in our list last year on rather scanty evidence, because we are told on the best authority that it has not