443 Messrs. H. Scebohm and J. A, Harvie Brown on 



the tundra before the great march-past of ice on the river is 

 overj and whilst most of the islands are still under water. 

 Soon after the young are hatched^ before they are able to fly^ 

 these birds congregate in large flocks, and march slowly into 

 the tundra to moult. The Samoyedes gave us glowing ac- 

 counts of the grand battues which they used to have at these 

 times, killing the Geese with sticks, and collecting large sacks 

 full of down and feathers. Scebohm was fortunate enough 

 to come across one of these migratory flocks of Geese. It was 

 on the 27th July, whilst we were living in a wrecked ship on 

 the shores of the lagoon at Dvoinik. He had crossed over 

 to the North Twin Cape, and was skirting the margin of the 

 river which winds inland between high banks of grass, when 

 he heard a loud cackle of Geese. A bend in the river gave 

 him an opportunity of stalking them. As soon as he caught 

 sight of them a most interesting and extraordinary scene pre- 

 sented itself. Several hundred old Geese and about as many 

 young were marching like a regiment of soldiers. The van- 

 guard, all old birds, were half across the stream, Avhilst the 

 goslings brought up the rear, and were running down the 

 steep slope towards the water as fast as their legs could carry 

 them. Both banks of the river were strewed with feathers, 

 where they had no doubt been feeding ; and a handfull of quill 

 feathers was picked up in five minutes. They were evidently 

 migrating to the interior of the tundra, moulting as they 

 went along. The following day we discovered that our stock 

 of provisions was entirely exhausted, and we sent a party 

 after this flock of Geese. They met with them a few vefsts 

 higher up the river, and succeeded in securing eleven old 

 birds and five goslings. Most of the Geese were in full 

 moult and unable to fly; and Piottuch told us that both old 

 and young made for the water and attempted to conceal them- 

 selves by diving. 



Anas clypeata, L. 



The Shoveller does not appear to be so abundant on the 

 Petehora as it was found to be on the delta of the Dvina, 

 where it almost equalled in numbers those of the Pintail 



