150 Mr. H. Scebolim on the Ornithology of Siberia. 



so that patches of bare grass were visible in favourable places, 

 these oases were visited by small parties of Temminck's Stints. 

 I shot the first on the 6th of June. Most of these birds mi- 

 grated further north ; but a few remained to breed, and on 

 the 24th I found a nest containing two eggs on the south 

 bank of the Koo-ray'-i-ka. 



Further north, wherever we landed on the shores of the 

 river or on the islands of the delta, Temminck's Stint was by 

 far the commonest Sandpiper. I brought home several sit- 

 tings of its eggs, both from the Brek'-off-sky islands in lat. 

 70|°, and from Grol-cheek'-a, in lat. 71^°. On my return 

 journey I found it plentiful on the banks of the Yen-e-say' in 

 in lat. 58° in the middle of August. These birds had pro- 

 bably not bred so far south, but were most likely slowly mi- 

 grating southwards towards their winter quarters. 



Tringa minuta, Leisl. 



I did not see any trace of the Little Stint until I reached 

 Gol-cheek'-a, in lat. 71^°, on the 19th of July. It was then 

 too late for eggs. I had, however, been fortunate enough to 

 charter a Samoyade, who brought me a couple of baskets full 

 of unblown eggs. In this collection were nine eggs so exactly 

 like those of the Little Stint which Harvie Brown and I ob- 

 tained near the banks of the lagoon of the Petchora, that I 

 only required to see the birds in the neighbourhood to feel 

 sure of their identity. I spent the following day on the tundra, 

 and secured two female Little Stints; and on the 22nd I secured 

 a male of tliis species. 



Tringa subarquata, Giild. 



On the 15th of June I obtained a fine Curlew Sandpiper 

 in full breeding-plumage at the village of Koo-ray'-i-ka, on 

 the Arctic circle. It was doubtless en route for its breeding- 

 grounds, nearer the sea than I was able to get, as I saw nothing 

 more of this interesting species. 



The eggs of this bird and those of the Knot are now the 

 two great prizes left for British oologists to try and secure. 

 Drs. Finsch and Brelim found the Curlew Sandpiper breeding- 

 in great numbers about the 1st of August on the isthmus of 



