334 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



bear's flesh was served up beautifully cooked and par- 

 taken of with relish by all present. Captain Engel and 

 the engineer, however, after they were told what it was, 

 seemed rather disgusted, but the priest seemed to relish 

 his, and did not seem at all put out. Seebohm and I 

 were in the secret. It was stewed, and well done. Bear's 

 meat must not be underdone. 



The company present were M. and Madame Mironoff, 

 the two priests, a gentleman in uniform (who had come 

 from Mezen about a theft of silver buttons, etc., from 

 the Pasrednik, and whom, not knowing his name, we 

 simply dubbed 'the other chap'), Piottuch, the engineer, 

 Captain Engel, M. Arendt, our host, and ourselves. 

 M. Znaminsky and M. Sacharoff had not returned from 

 the other side of the river, where they went to get food 

 for their horses and to shoot Ducks, and M. Gladoscheff, 

 though invited, did not put in an appearance. 



The new arrival to-day was the Common Scoter. On 

 board the steamer I saw a Black Duck fly past, and settled 

 in my own mind that it was a Common Scoter. It flew 

 down the river against a north-west wind. 



The fragments and remains of the Ussa ice floated past 

 to-day, and the steamer had a good deal of dodging 

 coming up yesterday. It appears to be all past now. 



June 2. 

 On Wednesday, the '2nd of June, the new arrival was 

 Mosquito — oh ! 



Virtue was at last rewarded early this 

 morning. We got up at 3 a.m., and again 

 wended our way to search once more for the 

 Siberian Chiffchaff, and Seebohm was fortu- 

 nate in securing one nice specimen, and 

 fired at another across the stream. After- 

 wards I was sitting watching a White Wagtail building 



