62 Messrs. Alston and Harvie Brown's 



36. Alauda arvensis. The Sky-Lark was common in 

 suitable localities. A specimen preserved is very rufous on 

 the breast, as compared with British-killed specimens. 



Obs. — Otocorys alpestris. This species is represented by 

 one specimen in the Museum, where there is also a specimen 

 of Euspiza melanocephala d ; but the fact of the latter having 

 been procured in the Archangel Government is unauthenti- 

 cated, and must be regarded as very doubtful. 



37. Emberiza aureola. The Yellow-breasted Bunting is 

 not found, or is extremely rare on the outer islands of the 

 delta, according to our observation. Around Archangel, on 

 certain islands, and higher up the river, it is extremely abun- 

 dant, and is invariably to be found in hay-fields interspersed 

 with low alder and birch bushes and overgrown with quan- 

 tities of the broad-leaved Veratrum album mixed with horse- 

 celery and long rank grass. So constantly is this the case, 

 that whenever we noticed a patch of that weed, we always 

 made certain of finding a colony of these birds. In this kind 

 of ground it is extremely difficult to find the nest, all the 

 more so because the female always runs some distance before 

 taking wing ; in one instance, we watched the female return 

 to the nest, and found it to be quite six yards from the spot 

 whence we had originally started her. Even when the birds 

 were shot, and dropped amongst the long grass, it was next 

 to impossible to find them without tearing up, or cutting 

 away, the grass around. The birds perched on the tall stems 

 and broad leaves of the Veratrum, and, when disturbed, uttered 

 rapid notes of alarm, somewhat resembling those of the 

 Whinchat, but softer ; and the males often flew close round 

 us when their mates were killed. At other times, however, 

 they evinced considerable shyness, and soon came to learn the 

 deadly meaning of the reports of our stick-guns. 



We found several nests of this Bunting ; but only one of 

 them contained eggs. They were placed on the ground, and 

 were simply composed of thin wiry grass circularly disposed, 

 some having a few horse-hairs as lining. One which we 

 took on the 7th July, containing five eggs, is now before us ; 

 it was placed on a dry raised bank in a marshy opening in an 



