314 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



to cast it off, as I missed ten or twelve shots straight off, 

 partly owing to the difficulty of getting my gun up, and 

 partly owing, as I afterwards found out, to my using too 

 large shot, of which seventeen pellets only went to the 

 charge. After I doffed my malitza and took to using 

 No. 4, I killed five Ducks — all Pmtails— without more 

 than two misses, and altogether I secured six Pintails and 

 one Teal. Many more might have been shot, but we 

 had regard for our ammunition. Piottuch shot three 

 Pintails. 



The flight continued all night, the fowl being constantly 

 disturbed both here and at another meadow where M. 

 Znaminsky and M. Sacharoff had taken their stances. 



May 20. 



On Thursday, the 20th of May, Piottuch and I came in 

 about 3 a.m., and not feehng sleepy he gave me the 

 history of his Samoyede skeleton (now at the Eoyal 

 College of Surgeons in London), and his adventures in 

 connection with it ; and then we turned in for a couple of 

 hours. Seebohm, who was sleeping when I came in, soon 

 after turned out and did a good morning's work, returning 

 at 9 or 9.30 o'clock with some good birds. 



The new arrivals to-day were Wigeon, Goldeneye, 

 Mallard, Willow Wren, Siberian Tit, and Three-toed 

 Woodpecker. 



Seebohm brought in two Siberian Tits, a pair, one 

 Three-toed AVoodpecker, and saw also the Wigeon, one 

 Kedwing, Eedpolls, Reed Buntings, etc., and identified 

 the Mallard* and Willow AVren. 



At 9.30 or 10 o'clock M. Znaminsky called us outside; 

 and seizing our guns we ran out, expecting some rare 

 bird or a bang at an ' utka,' i.e., duck, on the river. But it 



='•= As we never afterwards met with the Mallard, and this one was 

 heard, not seen, it must be erased from our list. 



