KAZAN MUSEUM 483 



In the ornithological museum I found very little to 

 interest me. The birds were without localities, and 

 consequently without scientific value. Dr. Peltzam told 

 me that, since the retirement of Dr. Bogdanoff, no one 

 had taken up ornithology as a speciality. He showed 

 me what he believed to be hybrids between the capercailzie 

 and black game, and a couple of grey hens which had 

 partially assumed the male plumage. The latter were 

 interesting from the fact that, upon dissection, the ovary 

 in each case was found to have been injured by a shot, 

 and the birds in consequence rendered barren. Although 

 three years had elapsed since Dr. Peltzam's visit to the 

 Petchora, he had not yet prepared the scientific results 

 of it for the press. Whether this delay was the result of 

 Russian dilatoriness or of German Grundlichkeit carried 

 to a pedantic extreme, I cannot say. 



In the ethnological department the prevailing disorder 

 reached its climax ; considering the locality also, the 

 collection was meagre in the extreme. I saw, however, 

 one or two things of great interest, among them a 

 complete suit of summer clothing, from the east of Lake 

 Baikal, which was said to be Tungusk. This dress was 

 semi-transparent, and made of bladder or fishes' skin.* 

 Another most interesting object was the dress of a 

 Shaman, the front covered with many pounds' weight of 

 iron, wrought into images of fishes and animals of all 

 kinds. It was evidently Siberian. The curator told me 

 that the Shaman was the doctor of the tribe, and that each 

 image was a present from a patient whom he had cured. 

 I was shown everything that could interest me, and I am 

 much indebted to Professor Kovalefsky, Dr. Peltzam, 

 and the other curators for their kindness and attention. 



* These dresses are found as far east as Kamschatka, where they are used as 

 waterproofs. — Ed. 



