398 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



not more than two days old (which w^e at present con- 

 sider rather a prize), but we found no nests or eggs, 

 though pairs of birds when at rest were dotted all over 

 that part of the tundra. After a time the flock would 

 depart for a quarter of an hour, but repeated!}' came back, 

 and had we had sufficient cartridges we might have 

 secured many more. 



About a dozen or fifteen Herring Gulls were frequent- 

 ing the same piece of ground where we first saw them, 

 but they at once took their departure when Qeebohm 

 arrived. He preceded me, as I remained behind with 

 the men to watch the above-mentioned Golden Plovers. 

 The shooting, however, disturbed the latter, and we did 

 not succeed in marking the female to the nest. 



To-morrow — wind permitting — we purpose to visit 

 Bougre again and renew our search for the Plover's 

 nest and for those of the Skuas. 



One Richardson's (Arctic) Skua was shot also, which 

 rose from amongst the others and flew towards us. 



We shot a few Dunlins, and found one young in down. 



To get back to Alexievka, our men found it necessary 

 to get on an ' offing ' by rov^'ing out against the w'ind 

 and then sailing back before the wind — which was quite 

 light — to Alexievka, thus nearly doubling the distance. 



The steamer sailed up to Kuja this evening, and 

 Konorsky, the Jew — who was left behind — cooked 

 for us an excellent meal of (very) salt beef and bread 

 fried in butter. We feel the want of really good food, 

 and fail to get into what, in Scotland, I should call really 

 good training. 



We sent letters to-day by the steamer — first to care 

 of the priest at Kuja — Piottuch's old friend — with all 

 enclosed to M. Znaminsky, to be re-forwarded to Mr. 

 Birse. 



