PETCHORA 521 



out of the almost innumerable names with which he has 

 disfigured the synonymy of ornithology. 



The European Kedpolls have lately been carefully 

 examined by Newton and Dresser, who have come to 

 the conclusion that there are four species. They pro- 

 nounce our birds to be Linota linaria, Linn., and Linota 

 exilipes, Coues. The former species is said to have a 

 larger bill, and always to have the rump distinctly 

 striped, whilst the latter has a white rump and a smaller 

 bill. Among our Petchora birds there are, however, 

 several of the smaller-billed forms with the rump dis- 

 tinctly striped. The question arises. Which is the con- 

 stant character by wdiich the species may be determined ? 

 or may it not be possible that neither character is con- 

 stant, and that the presence of intermediate forms may 

 justify us in considering L. exilipes as only an incipient 

 species ? 



When we planned our journey to the Petchora there 

 were six birds which were in the habit of visiting 

 the shores of our island on migration in consider- 

 able numbers, the eggs of which were almost, and 

 in some instances entirely, unknown. To discover the 

 breeding-places of these birds was one of the principal 

 objects of our journey. We satisfactorily disposed 

 of three of these birds — the Little Stint, Grey Plover, 

 and Bewick's Swan. The remaining three were the 

 Knot, the Sanderling, and the Curlew Sandpiper. We 

 shot the latter bird at the extreme north-east point of our 

 journey, in the breeding season ; and in ' The Ibis ' of 

 January this year — i.e. 1877 — will be found the announce- 

 ment that Drs. Finsch and Brehm discovered it breeding 

 a little further to the east, close to the mouth of the Ob. 

 The remaining two birds have also been disposed of. We 

 have been favoured, by the kindness of Capt. Feilden, the 

 naturalist on board the Alert, with a sight of the ornitho- 



