the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 451 



identified, viz. at Alexievka, Bougrai, and on the river Dvoinik 

 and on the small river flowing into the inland sea {antea, 

 p. 300) . They always defied capture, diving rapidly at the 

 flash, swimming a long way up or down stream, and reappear- 

 ing out of range. We failed to discover the nest. 



Sterna hiruxdo, L. 



Soon after passing Chuvinski, on our voyage down the river, 

 two Terns were seen at a distance and were brought within 

 range by an imitation of their note. Tlic species was then 

 suspected, by the ash-grey colour of the lower parts, to be 

 the Arctic Tern ; and we soon afterwards had an opportunity 

 of procuring both birds and eggs, and verifying our previous 

 recognition of the species. We found the Arctic Tern abun- 

 dantly at different localities — more especially, however, at 

 Kuya (on the occasion of our second visit, when we procured 

 the young), at an island near Alexievka, along the shore at 

 Yooshina, on an island near Stanavoialachta, and at Dvoinik. 

 They bred higher up the river in single pairs here and there, 

 and not in colonies, as far as we had opportunity of observing ; 

 but at the second of the above-mentioned localities there was 

 a considerable colony. At this place one was knocked down 

 with a stick by Little Feodor. 



Larus canus, L. 



The Common Gull was seen in great numbers at Ust Zylma 

 on the 15th INIay, and for several days after, resting on the 

 ice of the Petchora by the sides of the surface-pools of melted 

 snow. They were very wild ; but by a long random shot into 

 a large assemblage of these and another species {Larus affinis ?), 

 we were enabled to secure specimens. From what we saw of 

 the Common Gull afterwards along the course of the river, 

 we can almost believe that every pair which breeds on the 

 Petchora below l^st Zylma was included in the above-men- 

 tioned assemblage ; or, in other words, all that breed upon the 

 Petchora between Ust Zylma and the sea pass Ust Zylma on 

 migration. We found them nowhere in abundance after- 

 wards ; and they were generally seen in single pairs, and not 

 in colonies. We did not meet with them north of Kuya. 



SER. III. VOL. VI. 2 I 



