PETCHORA 403 



The male appears to be the same very small male which 

 we saw before at the first eyrie. 



We then took a longish stretch across the tundra, 

 making for the loch where I saw the two Velvet Scoters 

 on the 27th of June, in the hope of finding the nest. 

 Before we had gone a verst we stumbled right upon the 

 nest, the bird flying off and Seebohm rolling her over 

 before she had flown ten or fifteen feet. The nest con- 

 tained eight eggs, and was placed far away from water 

 under willow-scrub, in a hollow full of dead willow- 

 leaves and encircled with a large quantity of down. The 

 bird as she rose close to our feet, just for a second 

 through our mosquito-veils, looked so like a Blackcock ; 

 being just about the size and showing the conspicuous 

 white patch on the wing. This makes the tenth species 

 of Duck of which we have procured the eggs and 

 down. 



AVe found to-day also young of Willow Grouse, Lap- 

 land Bunting, and Shore Lark. Seebohm shot another 

 Dotterel and I three young Willow Grouse. 



The mother of the young Willow Grouse was very 

 solicitous for her brood, running within four yards of our 

 feet. We took three of the young birds, and left the 

 parents unmolested, of course, to take care of the re- 

 mainder. 



Oh ! the ' Kumahre ' were — ' oh ! very bad, very bad,' 

 as the Captain says, and the vail I had was a complete 

 failure without a broad-brimmed hat. The parts of the 

 face and neck most requiring protection are the forehead, 

 temples, ears, behind and under the ears, and the back 

 and sides of the neck. Mosquitoes do not usually attack 

 the face much, and it might almost be left exposed. The 

 hands and wrists also suffer. I protected mine to a con- 

 siderable extent by wrapping them up in my silk hand- 

 kerchief and holding the corner with my left hand, so 



