5 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 
impassable. The deep snow was in process of melting, and 
too soft to bear the weight even when distributed over a pair 
of snow-shoes each measuring 4 feet 6 inches long and 10 
inches wide. On some of the steeper slopes exposed to the 
south small oases of bare ground were to be found. One of 
these, close behind my quarters, thinly covered over with 
bushes, was a very prolific hunting-ground for me during the 
spring migration. On this piece of ground, on the 7th of 
June, I had the pleasure of shooting my first brace of Dark 
Thrushes (the Turdus pallens of Pallas, but not. the Turdus 
pallidus of Gmelin). A couple of days afterwards I shot two 
more on the same ground. As soon as the forests were pass- 
able I made daily rambles, and almost always heard the song 
of this bird. Turdus dubius had gone further north to breed ; 
but this species was evidently stopping and making prepa- 
rations to build its nest. This Thrush is a very poor songster, 
but he has a splendid voice. He warbles two or three clear 
rich notes, as mellow as those of a blackbird. Hestops; his 
song is finished; and you hear no more for a minute, when 
the same brilliant prelude is repeated. On the 27th of June 
I had the good luck to take the nest of this bird. It was 
placed upon a horizontal branch of a somewhat slender spruce, 
about fifteen feet from the ground. The female flew off as 
I approached the tree. I shot her, and soon had the nest 
with five eggsin my hand. The nest is carefully made, neatly 
lined with mud and afterwards with dry grass. The eggs 
resemble small but richly marked Blackbird’s eggs. I did 
not meet with this interesting Thrush further north than the 
Arctic circle; but on my return journey, in lat. 66°, on the 
3rd of August (and afterwards in lat 63°, on the 6th of 
August), I shot the young in first plumage, with spotted 
backs and spotted breasts. One of these skins will be figured 
in Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe.’ 
Turpvus sipiricus, Pallas. 
Whilst the remains of the ice were still straggling down 
the Yen-e-say’ I occasionally caught a hasty glance at a 
dark-coloured Thrush with a very conspicuous white eyebrow ; 
[48] 
