594 Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Russian 



luxuriant and the pools teem with insect-life and especially 

 with gnats. Here they associate with other Waders, such as 

 Sanderlings, Turnstones, &c. All attempts to find the nest of 

 the Knot by watching the birds proved fruitless, as they were 

 very shy during the nesting-season and the eggs were only 

 found by chance. When the parent is disturbed and leaves 

 its nest it does not return for a long time, unless the eggs are 

 hard-set. The difficulty of finding the nest is increased by 

 the fact that the Knot is very unsociable during the breeding- 

 season and avoids other Waders as well as individuals of its 

 own species. It nests in lonely places far from the sea-coast, 

 where, in the Siberian islands at least, bird-life is chiefly 

 concentrated. About the middle of August (old style), 

 before the first frost, the young Knots in New Siberia began 

 to collect in flocks, and when the first frosts set in they 

 commenced to leave in family-parties or flocks. 



Limosa lapponica was met with on the Taimyr Peninsula, as 

 previously stated ('Ibis,' 1904, p. 220), but was not found 

 breeding there, though Mr. Birulia thinks that a few birds 

 may nest on the Taimyr tundras, as on the I4th/27th August 

 he shot one in Middendorff" Bay which had an incubation-spot. 

 On the island of New Siberia he never met with a God wit. 



Calidris arennria. — Few of this species were seen in Mid- 

 dendorft" Bay on passage in the autumn. It was, however, as 

 previously stated (' Ibis,' 190 1, p. 229), found breeding on the 

 coast of the Western Taimyr, where Dr. Walter obtained its 

 eggs and young in down. Mr. Birulia states that there it was 

 not so common as the other Waders. On the island of New 

 Siberia Mr. Birulia observed the first Sanderlings, migrating 

 north, on the 23rd May/5th June, after which they were seen 

 daily and were one of the commonest of the birds on the 

 tundras ; but in spite of every endeavour he never succeeded 

 in finding a nest, as the birds " shewed no anxiety " and did 

 not in any way betray the situation of their nests, while watch- 

 ing and waiting in the cold was most unpleasant. Only on one 

 occasion, on the 6th/19th July, did a Sanderling exhibit any 

 anxiety and tried to lure him away ; doubtless the bird had 

 a nest containing highly incubated eggs in the vicinity, but 



