observed on the Yenisei River. 105 



-^105. ToTANUs CANEscENs, Grecnshank. 



Only one (female) was seen and shot by me near the 

 Tungooska river. 



106. Terekia cinerea. Terek Sandpiper. 



By far the noisiest as well as the commonest of the Sand- 

 pipers. We found numerous nests, and could have taken 

 many more eggs if we had wished. The birds seemed to 

 prefer dry nesting-grounds in the forest, and did not extend 

 north much beyond the limit of trees. They roost at night 

 on boughs overhanging the water of the lakes. The bird shot 

 from its nest was in every case the male. 



107. Limosa lapponica. Bar-tailed God wit. 



A bird in full summer plumage, picked up dead at Too- 

 rukhansk, first gave us hopes of coming across these birds 

 breeding on the Yenisei, and we subsequently found them 

 fairly plentiful between lat. 69° N. and 72° N., no two pairs 

 occupying the same district while nesting. The nest is 

 extremely difficult to find, being only a slight hollow on a 

 vast expanse of high-lying tundra. Both birds take part in 

 the incubation of the four eggs, but I have found the male 

 on the nest on three out of four occasions on which I have 

 been near a nest. One bird sits very close, while the other 

 meets the intruder at least a mile from the nest, and never 

 leaves him till he is well clear of the neighbourhood, keeping 

 up an incessant screaming, both when standing on the 

 ground and when flying round. The nests were found on 

 June 27th and July 3rd, and were in each case in the vicinity 

 of one belonging to a pair of BufFon's Skuas. It is impos- 

 sible to watch Godwits to their nests like one can Grey 

 Plovers, as in the latter case the sitting bird instantly 

 leaves the nest on the appearance of a stranger, and can be 

 watched till it returns^ but the sitting Godwit sticks to its 

 eggs till it can be almost caught in the hand, well knowing 

 that in the resemblance of its back to the surroundings lies 

 its best chance of escaping observation. This Godwit, like 

 many other Waders, occasionally perches upon tree-stumps. 

 Our eggs measure 206 in. by TS in. 



