the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 117 



delta around Alexievka, wliere^ however, they are decidedly 

 rare. We never had any of their eggs brought in by the 

 Zyriani. The Little Bunting is fond of frequenting the mossy 

 and marshy open hollows in the forests around Habariki and 

 elsewhere in search of insects^ in company with Wagtails 

 {B. viridis and M. «/i«), Temminck's Stints, Fieldfares, Blue- 

 throated Warblers, and other species. They paired shortly 

 after arrival, as we found them mated on the 10th June. 



EmBERIZA SCH(ENICLUS, L. 



On the 15th May we got the first Reed-Buntings; and on 

 the 19th we found them abundant, frequenting the low alder 

 and birch forests on the banks of the river opposite Ust Zylma. 

 At Habariki they are less abundant, haunting the skirts of 

 the pine- woods and edges of the marshy lakes and overflows 

 from the river. Eggs were procured in the beginning of June 

 at the latter locality ; and we afterwards found them common 

 down the river, beyond the arctic circle ; beyond this, how- 

 ever, they became scarce. We traced them as far north as 

 Alexievka, where the Zyriani got eggs for us. Seebohra found 

 a nest of this bird built inside an old Fieldfare's nest, in an 

 alder-swamp, nine feet from the surface of the water. The 

 bright clean plumage of these birds is worthy of passing 

 notice. They are much mealier than those found further 

 west. 



Plectrophanes lapponicus (L.). 



The handsome Lapland Bunting is one of the commonest 

 birds at LTst Zylma during migration. From the 18th May, 

 when we first saw them, till the 27th, they frequented the 

 fields behind the town, flying often in company with the 

 equally large flights of Shore-Larks, and mingling with them, 

 but just as commonly keeping in large independent com- 

 panies. The great body of the females appeared to arrive 

 somewhat later than the males, as the later flocks, when fly- 

 ing close past, exhibited fewer black heads and breasts. One 

 flock seen, and fired into, on the 27th, appeared to be com- 

 posed almost entirely of females. 



We did not again meet with the Lapland Bunting after 



