378 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



1 Long-tailed Duck. 



1 Willow Grouse. 



2 Buffon's Skuas. 



Of these the Grey Plover and Dunlin were new to 

 our list. 



This was our first day on the Bolshaia Tundra, and 

 such a day ! I wrote most of the following notes roughly 

 in my pocket note-book as I lay under a hot sun on the 

 Great Tundra, within fifty yards of our first Grey Plover's 

 (and the first European-taken) nest, containing four eggs. 



The first we saw of the birds was as we crossed the 

 Tundra in a line — Pittouch, myself, and three of our men, 

 Malenkai Feodor, Simeon — our Samoyede — and Gavriel ; 

 Seebohm was behind searching a low thicket of dwarf 

 birch (not Betula nana) for a Willow Grouse's and 

 Lapland Bunting's nests. 



Feodor had just before found a Bean Goose's nest with 

 two eggs, and I identified the bird as it flew overhead. 

 As we were walking along I was keeping a sharp look-out 

 for any species of Plover, because on the 18th Seebohm 

 shot a Golden Plover which had one of the axillary 

 plumes splashed with brown, and we were half-expecting 

 to find the Eastern Golden Plover, with the smoke- 

 coloured axillaries. We had not much thought of 

 finding the Grey Plover. 



AVhen I first saw two birds I went in pursuit, taking 

 them only for the common species, but I immediately 

 afterwards saw my mistake, and identified them with my 

 ' Duke ' glass. 



I then spoke to each of the men, and told them that 

 half a rouble would be given to whoever found the nest, 

 and Simeon and Gavriel at once commenced to search. 

 Three more pairs were seen flying over the same ground 

 or settling on the hummocks. I may here add that not a 



