FETCH OR A 443 



with a thick growth of Arctic Bramble (really Biihiis 

 arcticus, not chamemorus. See foot-note antea). 



On reaching the shallow pools we saw a bird rise and 

 marked it down, and Seebohm went on and shot it, while 

 I returned to pick up my binocular, which I had laid down. 



Before I rejoined him he shot two young Snow 

 Buntings, and afterwards I shot two, and he the mother 

 and another young one — in all, five young and the old 

 ? . It is possible that the 3 he shot on the 14th may 

 have been the father of the flock, as he was shot near 

 the same place ; but later in the day we saw another fine 

 male a little further along. These birds were frequenting 

 a pile of drift timber strewed or heaped up near the 

 shore at the west end of the sand-hills. They were 

 probably bred here, as the drift-logs and stony beach 

 are suitable enough, but it is also possible that they 

 may have taken a trip down or made a permanent 

 migration from the Pytkoff Mountains. 



Shortly afterwards Seebohm fired at a bird running 

 in the grass of the meadow, and I caught another. 

 They were young Dunlins. 



I shot another Temminck's Stint — which birds are 

 quite scarce here — at the same place where Piottuch 

 shot one yesterday. It hovered, as with the usual habit 

 of the species, and trilled overhead. A Glaucous Gull 

 was also shot, and a ? AVheatear, which was frequenting 

 the peat-cliff facing the sea. 



The sun was very powerful and the mosquitoes rather 

 abundant, and we came in about 4 p.m. Gavriel and 

 Bolshai Feodor had soon given up the search, but 

 Malenkai Feodor and Simeon returned late and reported 

 that they had not seen one bird, and had no eggs or 

 young, of the ' Malenhai (small) krassnal (red) kuleeh ' 

 (Sandpiper). They brought back two nests of eggs and 

 down of Long-tailed Duck, of five and three eggs each. 



