513 Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Russian 



cliffs on the sea-coast where the snow had commenced to 

 thaw earlier than in the interior of the island, both on the 

 western and high northern sides, for many nests were found 

 in the latter district, whereas in the interior, even on the 

 hilly portions of the tundra, neither nests nor the birds them- 

 selves were ever seen. For its nest the Willow-Ptarmigan 

 selected some comparatively dry spot well-covered with 

 long grass of tlie previous year and made an oval-shaped 

 hollow in the turf, in which it placed its eggs without any 

 lining. Two nests^ however, which were found on the 2nd/ 

 15th June and the 14th/27th June were sparingly lined with 

 a small quantity of Thamnolia vermicularis and a few downy 

 feathers of the bird itself. The first of these measured 

 20 centimetres in length and 18 cm. in width, and the 

 second 23 cm. in length, 18 cm. in width, and from 7 to 

 10 cm. in depth. 



The full number of eggs in a clutch varied from ten 

 to twelve, and the ivory merchants who accompanied 

 Mr. Birulia on the islands told him that they had never 

 found more than twelve eggs in a nest, either on the main- 

 land or the islands, and that the usual number was from 

 eight to ten. All the eggs, however, were not hatched, as in 

 some old nests two unfertile eggs were found together with 

 the shells of the eggs which had been hatched. Nests 

 containing from ten to twelve eggs were found from the 

 2nd/15th to the 15th/18th June. Owing to the eggs 

 assimilating so well to the dark brown colour of the 

 tundra the nest is difficult to discern. 



Lagopus mutus was breeding on the Taimyr, but was not 

 seen on the New Siberian Islands. This was probably 

 Lagopus rupestris and not true Lagopus mutus. 



Colymbus adamsi was not uncommon on the coasts of the 

 Tamyr. It was seen at the first winter-quarters of the expedi- 

 tion on the Western Taimyr, though not so often as Colymbus 

 septentrionalis, but was not met with on the New Siberian 

 islands. This fact was confirmed by the ivory merchants. It 

 nests rarely in the tundra of the Pri-Yansk district^ but its 

 real breeding-place is said to be on the lakes and inland 

 waters on the border of the forest-zone. The Tungusian 



