356 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



The following eggs were brought to us at Habarika, 

 besides Ducks and down, viz. : — One Greenshanks (the 

 other three were broken, the man having stupidly put 

 them in his waistcoat pocket). 



Landing here and there, we found several Ducks' nests, 

 mostly AVigeons, and one nest of Scoters (down light 

 brown, and eggs larger than any of our Wigeons) — six 

 in number. 



Occasionally as we rowed slowly with the current, 

 within gunshot of the shore, we got a shot at a Common 

 Sandpiper, or a Duck, and I shot a fine Red-throated 

 Diver. 



At Habarika Seebohm found a nest of four Ruffs' eggs, 

 shooting the female, and found a Wood Sandpiper's nest 

 ready for eggs. 



In the afternoon we had a thunderstorm, and to add to 

 our troubles the roof leaked in three places. Our bowls 

 were all filled with egg-flip ready for making omelettes ; we 

 had to sacrifice some and put the bowl to catch the drip. 



A Warbler shot by Seebohm cried ' twosuk,' the alarm- 

 note. We are a little puzzled by these Warblers {Phyllos- 

 copi) which we have shot, and we are now shooting and 

 preserving all we can. 



The Mosquitoes are putting in an appearance. They 

 are very large, and the 'bizz-z-z' is as loud as that of a 

 bee, but higher toned. 



AVe landed at a place where the mast of our boat had 

 disturbed a number of wild Swans on a pond behind a 

 fringing belt of willows. We tried to get shot at a Swan 

 on another pond, but failed. I crept along one side 

 amongst willows and old alder, and Piottuch along the 

 opposite side. Looking through the interstices between 

 the tree trunks and willow branches, I saw a fine lot of 

 Ducks swimming peacefully about on the pond formed by 

 the overflowing of the river. Before they were disturbed 



