Wolley from Finland :-—‘ I
at the mention of Lapland :

so often attracts attention by its striking actions 5

whole year after my arrival

easy

several names, all more or less expressive 5
I had heard from so many quarters accounts of its nesting

to verify them. It came as

this time a singular call is heard in the mar
a word in their language meaning an evil spirit ; and on
always spoken with a spiteful emp
grey crow is to a Highland forester, or a gu

tjeuty ; and from this another name is der

black, or with one meaning

common place of resort for it, or both, I am not sure. Certain it is that this black bird not unfrequently lays
its eggs m a part of the forest w
arities—a marsh-bird choosi
forest timber. I have seen two nests so placed; and one of them was on ground which, from the charred
wood lying about, had evidently been burnt at some former period. ‘They were nearly at the top of long hills
many hundreds of yards from any marshy places, and with good-sized fir trees on all sides ; but they were not
in the thickest part of the forest ; and the vegetation on the ground round about was very scanty, diminutive
heather and such like plants growing thinly amon gst short reindeer lichen. Here they were placed in slight
depressions of the ground near some small ancient logs so nearly buried as to afford no shelter, ona bedding
of only a few dry leaves of Scotch fir. The bird sometimes sits so close that one is tempted to try to catch it
with the hand. Its white back is conspicuous as it crouches with its neck drawn in ; and it either gets up at
once or runs a short way before it rises, and then flies round with an occasional ¢jewfy, or stands upon the top
of a neighbouring tree, showing the full length of its slender legs, neck, and bill. But it is not until it has
young that all its powers are brought into play: it then comes far to meet any intruder, floating over him
with a clear cry that echoes through the forest, or may be heard over a great extent of marsh, or stands very
near, bowing its head and opening its bill quite wide in the energy of its gesticulation. The eggs, four in
number, are of a rich green ground-colour when fresh, or sometimes of a bright brown. ‘This year they were
laid hereabouts at the end of May. The young are probably carried into marshy land as soon as they are
hatched; for there they are to be found while still very small. Tam told that dry mounds rising out of swamps
are sometimes chosen as breeding-places.

‘The nests described were stumbled upon in walking through the forest, where the bird is scattered usually
at wide intervals, only two or three pairs being seen in the course of a long day’s walk. The bird is so
wary that I have never succeeded in watching it to its nest.’ ”

It must not, however, be supposed that Norway and Finland are the only countries in which it summers
and performs the duty of reproduction ; for there can be but little doubt that all suitable situations in
similar latitudes of the Old World are alike resorted to, and consequently that it is as plentiful in northern
Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia as it is in the far west. I presume, at least, that such is the case, because we
know that it is a winter resident in North Africa, India, and China; and we may therefore conclude that
the individuals frequenting those countries pass vernally and autumnally north and south ; this it 1s
pretty certain is the route of the Woodcock, and doubtless of this bird also.

Mr. Hewitson has figured three beautiful varieties of the eggs of this species, and remarks that they
vary as “much as those of the Terns, while in the elegance of their form they are truly typical of the

eggs of the Scolopacide.”

Of the ee figures above mentioned one is greenish olive, blotched (particularly round the middle) with
dark and reddish brown ; the second is pale greyish green, similarly but not so much marbled with brown 5
coe third is of a tawny hue, blotched all over with dark and purplish brown.

The front figure in the Plate represents the bird in the full summer dress, the centre one that of
inmaturity, and the reduced figure in the distance that of winter. The two former are of the natural size.

to talk about a bird with so much character ;

 

expect that henceforth the Spotted Redshank val always start up in my memory
it is so peculiar to the country, so remarkable in its appearance in summer, and
added to which, my ignorance of its nest and eggs for a
pt up in my mind the liveliest interest concerning it. It was
and I soon found it was known amongst the people by
and in my drives about Finland and into Norway during the winter

thus far north ke

peculiarities, that I only waited for its return here
soon as the snow was off the ground, and laid its eggs with very little delay. At
shes, which the Fins express by the sound reevat, corresponding to
e of the names of the bird is taken from it—a name
hasis by rein-deer stalkers ; for the Rivatter is as mischievous to them as the
ll to a seal-shooter ; but the cry with which it spoils their sport is
ived, generally coupled with the distinctive epithet corresponding to
burnt wood ; but whether this last is taken from the colour of the bird, or from a

hich has formerly been burnt ; and here is one of its most unexpected peculi-
iy the driest possible situation, even hills of considerable height and covered with