44 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



before the meeting of comparing it with other specimens, or of 

 consulting any work on the subject. Since tlien, however, he had 

 carefully examined the bird, and he could now state that it is a 

 specimen of the American Bittern. Mr Harvie-Brown and Dr 

 Dewar also identified the sjoecimen. It was killed about the last 

 week of October on the shore at Islay, and is the fifth or sixth 

 specimen recorded from Scotland. 



II. — Shtch of the Ornithology of the Loicer Petchora, tclth some account 

 of a Journey to the Delta of that river, and to the Tundras of N. E. 

 liussia ; with remarks on the migratory movements of the species 

 olserved. By Mr John A. Hara^ie-Brown, M.B.O.U., corre- 

 sponding member. 



This journey was undertaken by Mr Henry Seebohm, F.Z.S., 

 and Mr Harvie-Brown, during the spring and summer of 1875. 

 After describing shortly their route from London to Archangel, — 

 2d to 19th March, — and sojourn at the latter place, the writer 

 entered into details regarding the incidents of travel and scenery 

 along their way through the less known' country between Arch- 

 angel and Ust Zylma on the great river Petchora, — Gth to IStli 

 April, — specially noting the scenery of the Kuloi Eiver, a tributary 

 of the Mezen, and referring his hearers to a fuller description in 

 Eae's " Land of the North Wind." He also casually made 

 mention of the migrating bands of Samoyedes who inhabit in 

 summer the dreary tundras northward and eastward of the town 

 of Mezen, and with whom the travellers, later on their journey, 

 had abundant opportunity of becoming acquainted. They passed 

 to the eastward of Mezen through almost uninterrupted forests 

 for GOO miles, travelling day and night, and only stopping at the 

 stations, which are from 14 to 33 A^ersts apart (3 versts are equal 

 to 2 English miles), for the purposes of changing horses or taking 

 a hurried meal. A great stretch of this forest country, containing 

 about 14,000,000 acres, and about 400 miles in length, is held by 

 Mr KusanofF, of Mezen, in grant from the Crown, for the purpose 

 of felling and exporting the timber. The vastness of this great 

 country more and more impressed the travellers as they passed 

 onwards on their journey through the deep pine woods, the wild 

 cries of the yemstschik or driver, and the constant crunching and 

 thumping of the hard frozen snow against the sides of the sledge, 

 being the only sounds to disturb the otherwise silent forests. The 



