262 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



of about one verst, which look promising when the 

 spring-time comes, but at present seem to be destitute of 

 hfe. 



(1) Snow Buntings are extremely abundant along the 

 riverside and in flocks in the irregular streets and court- 

 yards, and on the house-tops of the town. 



(2) E,edpolls are also not uncommon, and both the 



(3) Tree and 



(4) Common Sparrows are to be seen, though not in 

 great numbers. 



(5) Magpies are common, and so also are the cosmo- 

 politan 



(6) Hooded Crows. 



Piottuch's dog—' Isaak ' — which took kindly to us 

 south of Mezen, and has accompanied us ever since, turns 

 out a ' knowing one ' as regards his own interests. We 

 had two nicely-cooked ' Eaibchiks ' (7) intended for our- 

 selves, but in the dead of night Isaac sniffed them out 

 and purloined them. He has also tried hard to poison 

 himself with the skinned specimens, and devoured eight 

 of our Snow Buntings. Piottuch, who fondly counts 

 each skin knocked off his thousand, was even more dis- 

 gusted than we. ' Trcs mcd cJiosc,' he said. ' Isaac ' is 

 now banished to sleep in the cold passage in punishment 

 for his delinquencies. 



We are here in the house of one of the ' Old Believers,' 

 to which sect most of the inhabitants of Ust Zylma belong. 

 AVe are not allowed to smoke in the presence of the 

 household images, and our rooms have accordingly been 

 cleared of them. Neither are we allowed to drink or eat 

 out of their own vessels, or if we use them they are not 

 again used by the family. In each house vessels are set 

 aside for the use of strangers or those of a different 

 creed. 



