304 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



We remained some time longer in our holes, and M, 

 Znaminsky got one or two long shots, but nothing more 

 was bagged, and after breakfast we started for home 

 again. Seebohm, who had been roaming about in the 

 woods behind his ' cache,' had killed some birds, viz., 

 two Marsh Tits and two Reed Buntings, and one 

 White AVagtail. 



Our journey back was a terribly slow one ; the 

 peasant's horse we had hired was quite done up ; simply, 

 I believe, from want of good food, and we took six hours 

 to the 24 versts. Rain came on too, and we got every- 

 thing soaking wet. Seebohm shot fifteen Shore Larks 

 on the way. 



In the evening we sallied forth again, both barrels of 

 our guns charged with slugs, and fired into about two 

 hundred Gulls sitting on the water-covered ice, killing 

 two, a dark-mantled, yellow-legged Gull (L. cachinnans) 

 and a Common Gull (L. canus). There were by far more 

 of the latter in the flock than of the former, and their cry 

 was — as with us in Britain — clamorous and impatient. 



The following is a description of the soft parts : — 



Larus cachinnans, Ust Zylma. 



Bill. Straw yellow with large vermilion patch on the 

 angle of the lower mandible. 



Inside of mouth same colour as the bill, with a tinge of 

 orange at the angle of the gape. 



Eyes. Pupils blue-black. 



Irides. Pale straw yellow. 



Bound the eye. Orange. 



Legs. Straw-yellow ; nails dark horn, nearly black. 



Larus canus, Ust Zylma. 



Bill. Gamboge-yellow. 



Inside of mouth and angle of gape, vermilion. 



