ArcHc Expedition of 1900-1903. 597 



Soniaieria sielleri is rare in the Taimyr : Dr. Walter 

 obtained two males, but Mr. Biralia did not see it there. No 

 nest was found, though it apparently breeds on the peninsula. 

 On New Sib(riaMr. BiruHa first observed it on the 2nd/15th 

 June, and only saw it on two occasions afterwards ; he adds 

 that it was even rarer than S. jischeri. He only shot one, a 

 young bird, and found no trace of a nest ; but the ivory 

 merchants informed him that they occasionally found eggs 

 on all the islands of the archipelago; anyhow, he states, the 

 chief nesting-places of Steller's Eider are on the tundras of 

 the mainland. 



Harelda (jlacialis was met with commonly everywhere. 



Branta beraicla was first met with in Middendorff Bay, 

 where large flocks remained during the moulting-season. 

 At the Sarja roadstead it was common and was found 

 breeding on the elevated stony portions of the tundra, where 

 it places its nest amongst the stones, filling the open places 

 carefully with moss, constructing the nest of the same moss 

 and lining it well with down, with which the bird covers 

 the eggs when leaving the nest. Nests were also found 

 in damp places near the lakes, but there, too^ they were 

 placed on heaps of stones. On the approach of anyone the 

 male, who acts as a sentinel, utters a warning cry and the 

 female leaves the nest, flying as near the ground as possible 

 for some distance and then rising to join her mate. Mr. 

 Birulia saw thousands on the Kolomeitseff River during the 

 moulting-season, and they also appear to frequent all the 

 other rivers at that season, which seems to extend from about 

 the 25th of July to the 8tli of August (new style), while 

 on the 24th of August numerous flocks Avere seen leaving 

 the Taimyr and passing south-west along the sea-coast. 



Branta nigricans was seen in 1902 on New Siberia when 

 it was still winter. This Goose comes to the islands of the 

 New Siberian archipelago in larger numbers than Anser 

 albifrons, but only breeds there to a limited extent. In 1902 

 Mr. Birulia saw large numbers during the moulting-season, 

 but did not find a single nest, and he considered that it only 

 comes to the islands during the moulting-season; but in 1903 



