192 Mr. H. J. Pearson on Birds 



summer residence, for neither Russians nor Samoyeds (nor 

 their dogs) are very scrupulous in sanitary matters, and 

 consequently flies of many kinds were numerous. We did 

 not take in water at Habarova, and advise future visitors to 

 these regions to select sources of supply at some distance 

 from human habitations. 



3. Anthus cervinus. 



Waigats is a thoroughly suitable country for the Red- 

 throated Pipit, and the birds were fairly numerous in all the 

 parts visited. Nine clutches of eggs were taken between 

 July 3rd and 11th, most of them much incubated. Two of 

 these clutches, found on the 8th a mile apart, raised the old 

 question as to whether the bird knows the colour of her eggs 

 and selects a suitable locality, or colours her eggs to suit the 

 locality. The first clutch was in a marsh and placed high 

 up among the grass, so that both the nest and eggs were 

 very open to observation, in my experience a most unusual 

 position for this bird to select. The eggs harmonized 

 perfectly with the dead grass which surrounded them, and are 

 the lightest-coloured clutch I have. The next clutch (four) 

 was in a vertical hole six inches deep and only just large 

 enough to admit the bird ; it is the deepest-coloured set 

 taken during two seasons. The nest of this species is usually 

 placed in the side of a hummock in swampy ground and well 

 concealed, so that both nests were a departure from the 

 ordinary habits of the bird. These Pipits were numerous 

 on Dolgoi Island ; both old and young were shot there. 



4. LiNOTA LINARIA. 



We found a nest of the Mealy Redpoll with three eggs 

 (fresh) near Habarova on July 14th and shot the male. 

 The nest was a beautiful little structure placed in a dwarf 

 sallow. Several Linnets were seen in Waigats, but we 

 could never obtain a specimen. Mr. Jackson also mentions 

 having shot three there (' The Great Frozen Land,^ p. 34), 

 describing them only as Linnets. There is little doubt, 

 therefore, that this species crosses the Yugor Straits to 

 Waigats, and may be added to the list of birds found there. 



