PETCHORA 317 



helped in pushing the boat and tracking it over the centre 

 ice on a sledge. 



We were glad to get back to our rooms in Ust Zylma, 

 and perforce decided we should have no more Duck hunts 

 nor Wild Goose chases a Vautre cote de Petchora as 

 Piottuch calls it. 



We got to Ust Zylma about eight o'clock and had tea 

 with M. Znaminsky. 



AVigeon and Goldeneye were identified among the Ducks 

 before we left. 



Maij 21. 

 Friday, the 21st of May, was St. Michael's, or St. 

 Nicholas's day ? Opposite the town the river is all open 

 water, but it will be some time yet before our large boat, 

 which is 80 versts up the river (20 versts from Ijma), can 

 get down. The partial break-up extends as far as the eye 

 can reach down the river, which is one mass and wild con- 

 fusion of hurled and scrunched-up ice. I fear we have 

 missed the sight, but no one told us to expect it, and I for 

 one was nearly done up for want of sleep in the past two 

 nights,- not to speak of irregular meals. 



The new arrivals to-day were Bewick's Swan (identified) 

 and Wheatears. 



This morning we had an opportunity of examining a 

 Swan's head, and by a comparison of it with descriptions 

 and plates kindly prepared for us by om' good friend Mr. 

 E. Hargitt, we made it out distinctly to be Bewick's 

 Swan,* though the measurements are rather large. W^e 

 have kept the skin of the head and the bill, and taken 

 measurements of the wing and the middle toe. A smaller 

 swan is spoken of as breeding at, or being brought from, 

 the other side of the Ural to the markets at Pihega, but 

 we want still more definite information on this point. 

 The middle toe of this bird is Q-^q inches. The wing 

 •= These however were really C. musicus, see p. 406 et ser^. 



