426 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



The vast swamp talked of b}^ Engel may or may not 

 exist, but if it does, is it not likely ground for the Curlew 

 Sandpiper to breed in — a Red-breasted Dunlin, in 

 fact? 



The distant Pytkoff mountains, too, are suggestive, 

 and, we fear, unreachable at present. 



Cape Dvoinik is more than 100 versts north-east of 

 Stanavoialachta, across the stormy entrance of the 

 Boluanski Gulf, and it would be folly to cross, or 

 attempt to cross, this wide waste of water in our 

 ifashing-tuh ! 



We have offered to hire the steamer, paying expenses 

 of fuel and men, and hinted how invaluable to us would 

 be the acquisition of the eggs of these birds, and to 

 naturalists the fact of their discovery; but one might 

 as well preach to a beacon on Cape Dvoinik. The 

 steamer is needed elsewhere. The rafts descending 

 may stick on shoals on the river, and need her assist- 

 ance, and — tut ! what are rafts of timber compared to 

 Little Stints' eggs? — but Arendt would not see it, and we 

 were disconsolate. 



Tired, and perhaps not looking at things in their best 

 light, we reached Alexievka early on Thursday morning, 

 nine hours from Cape Dvoinik. AVe shall plan and scheme 

 yet to reach that Stint-ground again before we leave. 



Five of our Plover eggs are hatched out, and the birds 

 strong and healthy. Our troubles are not unmixed with 

 triumphs. 



July 15. 



Thursday, the 15th of July, back again at Alexievka, 

 amidst swarms of mosquitoes. 



The windows are all covered over with our own blood 

 from scrunched and defunct mosquitoes. They are not 

 large, but are very venomous. 



We patched up our broken Grey Plovers' eggs from 



