016 Mr. H. L. Pophara on Birds 



Hansen (the mate of our steamer). The first birds seen on 

 landing were Little Stints, Snow-Buntings and Lapland 

 Buntings, and several Richardson^s Skuas were flying about 

 over the centre of the island. Brent Geese also were plen- 

 tiful, and I soon found a nest with four eggs. While 

 walking across the island, McGarry called out to me that 

 there was a Sandpiper in sight ; I hurried up to him and 

 was delighted to see a Curlew-Sandpiper. I sent the other 

 two men away and lay down to watch the bird, which stood 

 still for some time, then flew some distance away, and I lost 

 sight of it among some Turnstones. After joining the other 

 men, I followed a little flock of four Curlew-Sandpipers 

 that flew past, and shot a couple of females at one shot as 

 they were washing themselves at the edge of a small lake. 



We walked on in pursuit of a Snowy Owl, which proved 

 as wild as usual, and then returned to the Curlew-Sandpiper 

 ground. We again saw the bird near the same spot, so 

 Hansen and I lay down to watch it, while the mosquitoes 

 did their worst. The bird stood for some time watching us 

 and then began running about; it was very difficult to keep 

 it in sight, for it took advantage of every little hollow to run 

 in and every little ridge to hide behind. It then flew to 

 another place and did the same thing again, so I asked 

 Hansen to get up and walk away. The bird remained 

 quite motionless, watching him go, and then ran backwards 

 and forwards, and finally stopped still behind a small tuft of 

 grass. After waiting for some minutes, I raised my head 

 slightly ; the bird instantly flew ofi" and stood watching, but 

 as it saw nothing moving it began running about again and 

 settled down in the same spot ; then I felt sure I had a nest 

 safe, but to make doubly sure I went through the same 

 performance again, a shower of rain no doubt hastening 

 matters, and this time I distinctly saw the bird shuffle the 

 eggs under it. I jumped up, shot the bird as it ran away, 

 and soon had the pleasure of looking at the first authentic 

 eggs of the Curlew-Sandpiper. 



The bird, which proved to be the female, remained silent 

 throughout ; at one time I thought I heard it make a sound 



