438 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



skull of a large animal and kept the teeth of the upper 

 jaw for future identification. 



Having searched this peninsula without success, we 

 returned to the south-west shore. Piottuch and Simeon 

 were sitting down on the edge of the tundra, which rises 

 with a gradual slope to a height of only a few feet ahove 

 the level of the water of the inlet. Seebohm had gone on 

 along the water edge towards the north, and I was a 

 considerable way behind, having diverged to look along 

 the coast-line with my glass. 



Piottuch, as I approached, shouted to me to come to 

 him, and as I came nearer I saw a small bird flying in 

 circles round him and Simeon, and alighting here and 

 there close to them. 



I ran forward and Piottuch held out two young Little 

 Stints, not more than a day, or at most two days out of 

 the shell. I sat down, and ere many seconds elapsed the 

 old bird alighted within a yard or two of our feet, uttering 

 a low, very small, anxious sibylline whistle. My gun lay 

 on the ground beside me within reach of my hand, and I 

 laid down one of the young about six inches beyond it. 

 Almost immediately the old bird advanced close up to it 

 and endeavoured to lead it away. Piottuch then held 

 out the other in his left hand, and it uttered a scarcely 

 audible cheep. 



The old bird fearlessly advanced to within one foot 

 (twelve inches) of his hand, and he nearly caught it. 



I then shouted and yelled and waved my hat to See- 

 bohm to come, being at the same time prepared to shoot 

 the bird if it flew away to any distance. But no ; it 

 simply flew about ten or fifteen yards and then began to 

 sham lameness, tumbling about amongst the little hum- 

 mocks and hollows and never going farther from us than 

 — at the outside — thirty paces. 



Seebohm came up and sat down. The old bird now 



