the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 443 



(Ibis, 1873, p. 71). Only one bird, a male, was identified 

 at Ust Zylma, on the 19tli June ; and on our voyage down 

 the river only one other, a female, was seen. The Zyriani 

 at Alexievka brought in only one set of eggs, along with the 

 down ; and upon an island called Glubauki"^, opposite Sta- 

 navoialachta, we found another nest containing two eggs. 

 There was very little down in this last nest wherewith to 

 identify the eggs ; but we distinctly saw both birds : the male 

 alighted at the entrance of a narrow lane of water amongst 

 the grass which led to the nest; and on being joined by the 

 female, both flew off to their feeding-grounds. 



Anas crecca, L. 



Teal were first seen and one shot on the 18th May as a 

 small party of them dashed along the course of the stream 

 formed by the melting snow, which came surging down 

 the valley behind the town of Ust Zylma. We also shot Teal 

 on the meadows on the banks of the Zylma the night before 

 the ice broke up, and procured several nests of eggs at Ha- 

 bariki and on the Yorsa ; but we did not see any among the 

 islands of the delta, nor upon the tundra. 



It is somewhat remarkable that we saw nothing of the com- 

 mon Wild Duck {Anas boschas) on the Petchora, though it 

 is a common species around Archangel (Ibis, 1873, p. 71) ; 

 and as it is so generally distributed throughout Eiu'ope, 

 we consider this negative evidence worthy of record. 



Anas acuta, L. 



The Pintail was first identified on the morning of the 18th 

 May, when three birds flew close overhead. On the evening 

 of the same day we accompanied MM. Znaminsky and Sa- 

 charofl" to the feeding-grounds on the banks of the Zylma, 

 where we found vast numbers of Ducks congregated. From 

 what we saAv that night and the foUoAving day we believe 

 that nine tenths of the many thousands of Ducks identified 

 belonged to this species. When the ice broke up on the 

 Zylma on the morning of the 20th May, these great flocks 

 dispersed or repaired en masse to some more northern locality ; 



* Lit. deep Witter. 



