68 Messrs. Alston and Harvie Brown's 



piper first at Suja, on the Dwina, and afterwards in great 

 numbers on the banks of the Ijma river, where it was more 

 numerous than the next species ; yet we never once met with 

 it on the islands of the delta. It seems to be a common species, 

 but very locally distributed. 



69. Xenus cinereus. The Terek Sandpiper is very abun- 

 dant on the delta of the river Dwina; and we met with it both 

 on the sandy islands of the outer group, and on the closely 

 wooded ones nearer to Archangel. We took eggs from the 

 time of our arrival, on the 15th of June, on to the end of the 

 month ; and the young were obtained in all stages. By the 

 21st of July the young birds of the year were going in flocks. 

 We were much struck by the arboreal habits of this species, 

 which perches freely upon bushes or low trees, and runs along 

 the branches with great ease, uttering a rapidly repeated cry 

 of alarm, which may expressed by the words "tluk, tluk, tluk." 

 When first started, or when flying from place to place, or 

 dashing in and out amongst the alder thickets, the more 

 musical double note is uttered, whence its Russian name of 

 "Kuleek"*. 



The nest is simply a slight saucer-shaped hollow in the 

 ground, lined with chips of wood and bits of thick reed, and 

 is placed in open marshy parts of the alder thickets, by the 

 sides of "Kourias" or creeks, or in the sand amongst bent 



The eggs in many instances closely resemble those of Ac- 

 titis hypoleuca, but are a little larger. They bear no resem- 

 blance whatever to the eggs of Limosce ; indeed all this bird's 

 habits, motions, cry, and quick, darting, erratic flight show its 

 affinities with the Sandpipers, and not with the Godwits. The 

 length of bill in different individuals varies greatly, as is the 

 case in Tringa cinclus, Numenius arquata, and other Waders. 

 The young soon take on the dark markings on the back which 

 are so conspicuous in the adult birds ; and these can be traced 

 in the nestling of a few days' age. The young birds have the 



* " Kuleeki " is the name applied by the natives to all kinds of Sand- 

 pipers, but most directly to the Terek Sandpiper. The accent is on the 

 second svllable. 



