98 Mr. H. L. Popham on Birds 



48. Asio ACCiPiTRiNUs. Short-eared Owl. 



This was the commonest Owl ; we found two of its nests. 



-^-49. Nyctea scandiaca. Snowy Owl. 



We did not see so many Snowy Owls as we expected, 

 considering there was a large supply of lemmings on the 

 tundra. There was nothing like the number that I saw on 

 Waigatz Island last year. One day, near Golchika, we saw 

 two, and after a careful stalk we each shot one, but could 

 not find any signs of a nest, though, from the " incubation 

 spot " on the hen bird, they had evidently bred. 



50. Circus .eruginosus. Marsh -Harrier. 



A fine bird passed close to us near Yeniseisk, and we 

 several times saw Harriers that we concluded were C. <2ru- 

 ginosus. 



51. BuTEO DESERTORUM. African Buzzard. 



One nest was found near Yeniseisk, and the male bird 

 shot. 



-f-52, BuTEO LAGOPUS. Bough-leggcd Buzzard. 



The commonest of the large birds of prey beyond the 

 forest ; their nests, of which we found six, containing from 

 four to six eggs in each, were always easily accessible on the 

 banks of the river. 



53. MiLvus MIGRANS. Black Kite. 



In the forest, when nearing Yeniseisk, a large fork-tailed 

 bird flew over us, which we concluded was a Black Kite, but 

 we saw none on the river. 



54. Falco peregrinus. Peregrine. 



Almost as common as the Rough-legged Buzzard on the 

 lower parts of the river. All the nests were reached without 

 any difiiculty owing to the character of the country : they 

 had merely chosen the steepest of the cliffs on the river- 

 banks. I kept a pair of young ones for some weeks ; the 

 male became very tame, but the female remained fierce, 

 till both were released, owing to the difiiculty of supplying 

 them with fresh food. 



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