386 DOWN RIVER TO DUDINKA 



north wind all the next day, with mist and rain. I did 

 not go on shore, but spent the whole of my time in 

 putting my things in order, getting the schooner ship- 

 shape, blowing and packing eggs, and writing up my 

 journal. The wind continued the following day to be 

 north-east, blowing a stiff gale ; but it was warm, accom- 

 panied by occasional showers. I went on shore both 

 morning and afternoon. Strolling on the muddy sand 

 by the river bank I came upon the recent tracks of a 

 bear, which animal the peasants said they had seen a 

 week or two ago. I saw a short-eared owl and a hen- 

 harrier, and shot a cuckoo, which proved to be the 

 Himalayan species. I also took my fourth nest of the 

 Little bunting, with six eggs. It was lined with dry 

 grass, and one or two reindeer-hairs. I shot the bird. 

 Almost immediately afterwards, as I was crossing a 

 swamp, a snipe rose at my feet, fluttering in a manner 

 that convinced me she had eggs. I shot her as she was 

 flying away ; she proved to be the common snipe. The 

 nest was made in a little tussock of grass and moss 

 which grew out of the water, a deep hole having been 

 hollowed in the moss, and lined with dry stalks of flat 

 grass. It contained four eggs considerably incubated. 

 A few minutes afterwards a willow-warbler flew out of a 

 large tussock of grass, and began to utter the alarm- 

 note of the Arctic willow-warbler : I shot it, but too 

 hastily, and mangled it so much that it was scarcely 

 recognisable. I soon found the nest, built in a recess in 

 the side of the tussock. It was semi-domed, the outside 

 being moss and the inside fine dry grass. There was 

 neither feather nor hair used in the construction. It 

 contained five eggs, larger than those of the willow- 

 warbler and of a somewhat different character. Before 

 they were blown they looked pink, but afterwards the 



