278 



TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



which is tied to the hollow tube of wood, 16 forming the 

 runner, the other end of the string passing through the 

 tube, which is lightly balanced on the forked twig Ic. 

 The string is then tied to the lower end of the small 

 piece of wood, Id, passes up along its side and through a 

 hole near the other end, and thence to the small end of 

 the balanced beam. The top of the piece of wood Id is 

 smoothly rounded off, and the loop le (which is firmly 

 tied to the stick 1/, which again is firmly planted in the 

 ground), is passed over the rounded end of Id, and, resting 

 partly on the string 1« and partly on the wood, pulls directly 

 against the upward pull given by the balanced beam. 



When ' Puss ' gets 

 into the noose, the 

 piece of wood Id is 

 displaced and the loop 

 slips off, and the 

 balanced beams flies up 

 and hangs ' Puss ' in 

 good style. 



Fig. 2 is equally sim- 

 ple. 2a is the noose 

 string which lies through 

 the nicked end of the 

 wood 26 — after being 

 tied at 2c, and as in 

 the other, is held in its 

 place by the loop 2d — 

 until released by the side pull given by Miss ' Puss.' 



April 29. 



On Thursday, the 29th of April, we left Ust Zylma 



about nine in the morning and sledged down the river, 



40 versts, to Habarika, for the greater part of the way 



upon the river, but also crossing islands covered with 



