"^^"4^] THAYER AND BANGS — BIRDS 



BIRDS. 



John E. Thayer A>rD Outram Bangs. 



Mr. Keren's collection of birds, although of great interest, is by 

 no means fully representative of the regions visited. This is due 

 especially to the climatic conditions which greatly restricted the 

 time available for collecting. Both voyages along the Siberian 

 coast were necessarily hurried ; he was forced to leave the Kolyma 

 barely a month after the birds arrived in the spring; and during 

 most of this time the wooded country was filled with deep, soft, 

 melting snow, so that travelling was very difficult. The snow in 

 the woods disappeared simultaneously with the break-up of the 

 river, — June 7 to 15, — when all the low country became flooded. 

 Summer then really came upon the region, and the leaves of the 

 trees began to unfold. Mr. Koren assures us that, to make a 

 really good collection, one should be there during July and August. 



Although we recognize the difficulties under which he labored, 

 we cannot help regretting that he did not secure specimens of the 

 raven, sand martin, and some other birds peculiar to this interest- 

 ing region. 



Koren is an excellent observer, and he knows the birds of the 

 North very well indeed. The accuracy of his field notes, which 

 we give under the several species, can be fully relied upon. Being 

 on the ground when the spring birds first came, he was able to 

 record the earliest appearance of each species. The shore birds, 

 and many of the small land birds too, arrive long before the ice 

 has left the river, apparently knowing that when summer begins, 

 it comes with a rush in this northern country. In 1912 the ice 

 broke up in the Kolyma River on June 7, and it took eight days to 

 discharge. On June 15 the river was entirely free of ice. 



We think no one can read the following notes without marveling, 

 as we have done, at one thing — how birds can withstand such a 



