222 Mr. H. J. Pearson on Birds 



Sclimidt Island is a peculiar, long, low one^ composed 

 entirely o£ blocks and boulders, and rising only 4 to 6 feet 

 above the level of the water ; it appeared to be just the place 

 for Ducks to nest upon. There were two or three Purple 

 Sandpipers on it and. many Ducks — chiefly Long-tails — in 

 the water around it, but only one nest of Common Eider 

 could we find. The down of this nest was carefully covered, 

 with pebbles round its outer edge, to prevent the wind 

 carrying it away. Part of the lake was still covered, with ice 

 5 to 6 feet thick, and we were obliged to drag the boat over 

 more than 200 yards of it. Still the two upper islands were 

 free from ice, so that the birds could not have been disturbed 

 recently by foxes. 



11. SoMATERiA MOLLissiMA. Common Eidcr. 



This species was fairly numerous^ and we obtained more eggs 

 than we intended, for we shot many old birds from the nest 

 in the hope of their proving to be S. spectabilis. However, 

 the Ducks formed a welcome change from tinned meats, and 

 are nearly as good as Mallard, if the skin is not eaten. Most 

 of the eggs were fresh, and on July 25th we found more 

 nests prepared for laying than containing eggs. This shows 

 how late and generally abnormal the season was. 



fl2. SoMATERiA SPECTABILIS. Kiug-Eidcr. 

 We saw nearly 200 males together at the western entrance 

 to Kostin Schar, and for 24 hours were under the pleasant de- 

 lusion that this was the only species present, so that we should 

 have no difficulty in obtaining authentic eggs. It was a great 

 disappointment, therefore, not to secure a single clutch. We 

 hunted over most of the islands between Meshduschavskee 

 Island and the mainland, but with no result. 



13. Mergus merganser. Goosander. 

 A number of old birds were seen, but no nests or young 

 were taken. 



■f 14. ^GiALiTis HiATicuLA. Ringed Plover. 



This bird was fairly numerous. One nest was found with 

 one egg remaining, the others being hatched. 



