the Birds of the Loiver Petchura. Ill 



Peregrine. "We did not see it again till we found several pairs 

 breeding on the steep clay banks of the river Petchora, at Sta- 

 navoialachta. We had a fresh e^^ brouglit to us at Ust 

 Zylma by a Samoyede on the 27th May ; and we found two 

 nests, with eggs considerably incubated, on the 27th June. 



Falco subbuteo, L. 



We shot a fine male Hobby at Habariki on the 5th June. 



Falco ^esalon, Tunstall. 



The first Merlin we saw was on the 5th May. Their fa- 

 vourite food seemed to be Snow-Buntings ; and they timed 

 their arrival about the date when the peasants began to sledge 

 out the manure on to the frozen snow, and the Snow-Bunt- 

 ings were able to find food in the fields. As long as the Snow- 

 Buntings remained, the Merlins could be found in some num- 

 bers ; but after the former had left we only saw one solitary 

 Merlin, flying northward on the 28th May. 



ASTUR PALUMBARIUS (L.). 



The only example of the Goshawk we saw was shot near 

 the river Yorsa on the 13th June. It was disturbed in a dense 

 alder-thicket in the act of devouring a female Widgeon. 



ACCIPITER NISUS (L.). 



We only identified one Sparrow- Hawk, which was shot on 

 the 29th May, wdiilst cari-ying off a Tree- Sparrow from a 

 farm-yard in Ust Zylma. 



Circus cyaneus (L,). 



We saw the first Hen-Harrier on the 24th May, and con- 

 tinued to see them almost daily as long as we remained at 

 Ust Zylma. We occasionally met with them on our voyage 

 down the river, and on the tundra as far north as Stana- 

 voialachta. 



Surnia nyctea (L.). 



The first Snowy Owl was seen by us on the 10th May at 

 Ust Zylma. We saw them occasionally in the neighbourhood 

 afterwards as long as the frost continued. We did not meet 

 with the species again until we visited the tundra at Dvoinik. 



