SIBERIAN FOREST TREES 451 



flock of seven or eight. Young white and yellow-headed 

 wagtails were numerous, but I devoted most of my atten- 

 tion to the young thrushes. Two species, with different 

 voices, frequented the spruce firs. I secured two of one 

 and one of the other. One species proved to be the dusky 

 ouzel, whose eggs I had discovered at the Kureika; and the 

 other was a new species for my list, the black-throated 

 ouzel i^Meriila atrigularis). This was probably the 

 northern limit of its breeding range. On the shores of a 

 small lake the green sandpiper was very noisy. On the 

 banks of the river both the house-martin (doubtless the 

 Siberian species) and the sand-martin swarmed. I watched 

 them pursue and finally drive away a merlin, who pertina- 

 ciously approached too near their nests. The alarm-note 

 of the young dusky ouzels was very much like the ti-tic 

 of the wheatear, but louder ; it might be expressed by 

 tick-tick. On the stones on the bank of the Yenesei 

 were several of the latter bird. 



As we steamed up the river on the following day, we 

 discussed the subject of the forest-trees of the Yenesei, 

 and, to the best of our ability, we thoroughly ventilated it. 

 So far as I can ascertain, there are five trees belonging to 

 the Pine group. They are as follows : — 



Larch [Piiius larix). This well-known tree extends 

 farther north than any of the others, and is abundant, 

 though small, as far north as lat. 69!-°. Farther south 

 it attains large dimensions. At Yeneseisk a larch-pole, 

 suitable for the mast of a ship, 36 inches in diameter 

 at the stem and 18 inches at the point, and 60 feet 

 long, may be bought for a sovereign. This hard dark 

 wood looks well for the walls and ceilings of the peasants' 

 rooms. 



Spruce fir [Picea obovata). This elegant tree, with 

 branches growing out of the trunk down almost to the 



