the Birds of the Loiver Petchora. 225 



lying boggy tracts to the higher and more undulating parts 

 of the tundra, in which latter situation we afterwards found 

 the Golden Plover nesting. 



Accomimnied by Piottuch and the men, Harvie Brown 

 walked on rapidly towards this seeming land of promise, 

 keeping a sharp look-out for any species of Plover (because 

 on the 18th Seebohm had shot a Golden Plover which had 

 one of the axillary plumes splashed with smoky brown) . They 

 had not much hope or even thought, at the time, of finding 

 the Grey Plover. When therefore a bird was seen about 200 

 yards off to rise from the tundra, and heard to utter a Plo- 

 ver's whistle, Harvie Brown at first took it for one of the 

 common species ; but he quickly saw his mistake when it again 

 alighted somewhat nearer, and the strong contrast of the 

 black and white parts of the plumage showed distinctly. He 

 lost no time in putting the identity of the bird beyond a 

 doubt by using his binocular. This was no sooner accom- 

 plished than the bird again took wing, and, rising high in the 

 air, joined four others which were flying in erratic circles high 

 overhead. These, as we afterwards came to learn, were the 

 male birds. A reward was now offered to the men for the 

 first nests they should find. Simeon set to work in a per- 

 severing patient manner, threading with slow step and sure 

 the mazes of the network of liummocks, his hands crossed 

 behind his back, and his eyes fixed upon the ground. Gav- 

 riel, the tall Russian, stalked away over the tundra until he 

 disappeared over a distant rise. After a good hour's search 

 Simeon was rewarded, and, waking up from his usual phlegma, 

 cried out, " Yaitsa-yaitsa ! dobra yaitsa V {" The eggs, the 

 eggs ! the good eggs ") ; and Harvie Brown ran up to him. 



Simeon was kneeling beside the nest with a quiet pleased 

 smile on his face. The nest contained four eggs, intermediate 

 in appearance between Golden Plover's eggs and Lapwing's. 

 Immediately after, Seebohm joined in, and together we feasted 

 our eyes for a brief space of time. It was then agreed that 

 Harvie Brown should remain behind and wait for the bird, 

 while the others moved away to renew the search. The fol- 

 lowing is extracted from Harvie Brown's Journal : — " I lay 



