the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 113 



CORVUS CORNIX, L. 



The Hooded Crow is one of the commonest residents in 

 every town and village in Russia through which we passed, 

 becoming gradually scarcer north of Ust Zylma. We were 

 told that at Gorodok"^ it is only a summer migrant, arriving 

 about the 10th May. At iVlexievka we only occasionally saw 

 it. In the neighbourhood of Ust Zylma it breeds in the 

 forests. The first eggs were brought to us on the 30th May. 



CoRVUS FRUGILEGUS, L. 



We had one specimen brought to us at Ust Zylma on the 

 1 7th May. This was the only example we saw during our trip. 



CoRVUS MONEDULA, L. 



We found this bird common, as far as Mezen, in the villages. 

 The only examples which we saw further east were a solitary 

 pair, one of which we shot, at Ust Zylma on the 3rd May. 

 Piottuch told us that it is only during the last four or five 

 years that the Jackdaw has appeared at Mezen, but that it is 

 now a resident there. Many of the birds we saw were very 

 white on the neck, being possibly the Corvus collaris of some 

 authors. 



Pica rustica (Scop.). 



This is one of the commonest resident birds in North Russia, 

 becoming still more frequent towards the east. At Ust Zylma 

 they are very abundant ; but we found them scarcer further 

 north, as the villages become smaller and further apart. We 

 did not see any Magpies north of Gorodok, where, however, 

 we were told the bird is found all the year round. We found 

 them building in the small pines near Ust Zylma, and begin- 

 ning to lay early in May. 



Perisoreus infaustus (L.). 



The Siberian Jay is not rare throughout the pine-forests of 

 North Russia through which we passed. They are, however, 

 somewhat difficult to find in early spring. When engaged in 



* This is the Pustozero of Purchas (Purchas's ' Pilgrimes,' vol. iii. 

 chap, viii.) ; and it is known at Mezen and Archangel by its true name, 

 Pustozersk. On the Petchora the only name recognized is Gorodok, or 

 "the town." 



SER. III. VOL. VI. I 



