BIRDS OF KOLGUEV 425 



those were moulted out, but those full-winged did not fly. Of the 

 adults, two forms were clearly distinguishable. In the majority, the 

 lower breast and belly were slaty, but a large proportion had these 

 parts light as mother-of-pearl : and there were some old birds in which 

 the light fringe of the slate-coloured breast feathers was so wide that the 

 bird could not easily be referred to either category. In one bird, a male, 

 in my possessson, the neck and the tail feathers are light brown ; apart 

 from this, it may almost be called a white bird. 



Cygnus bewicki varrell. Bewick's Swan. 

 Lebed. Chipouna (R.). HorcJi (S.). 



I judge it best to give from my diary the first references to these 

 swans. 



June 16, just below the Kriva river. 'As we were walking down 

 a pair of swans came flying past quite low down. As they approached, 

 attracted I think, by old Sailor, they turned and began circling round 

 us. We had heard them some way off. The noise they made was 

 not in the least like that of a whooper. It was a kind of " honk " 

 uttered at intervals, and I had thought was the cry of geese. I looked 

 at them with the glass ; the sun full on them. They were so close that 

 it was perfectly easy to distinguish the face,' — i.e. the shortness and 

 shape of the orange (not yellow) which looked red — 'they were Bewicks. 

 I was so much interested in watching them that I never thought of 

 shooting till Hyland woke me up, saying. " Shoot, sir ! " I had just 

 time to change one of my dust cartridges for s.s.g., and fired at the 

 second swan as they were getting rather out of range. The bird, 

 struck in the side, fell, or rather flew down slantingly — the other bird 

 flying up and down above it — and pitched about 200 yards away. On 

 Hyland going up it rose and flew on, accompanied by its mate, for 

 perhaps another 300 yards, very low over the tundra. I called Hyland 

 back, saying we should find the bird on the way home. And sure 

 enough, as I passed on our hurried return, there was the swan (within 

 a hundred yards), but we could not then wait. 1 One bird flew off; 

 the other remained in a sitting position. I was terribly sorry about 



1 For reasons explained under this date. 



