BIRDS OF KOLGUEV 



429 



king-eider were generally distributed from the crest to within five or six 

 miles inland. The Samoyeds constantly brought in the eggs during the 

 end of June and beginning of July, and also shot the females. 



July 19. — 'After its nest had been passed within, I should say, a yard, 

 a dozen times during these two hours by dogs, men, sleighs, etc., a 

 duck eider suddenly flew straight off her eggs— twenty paces exactly 

 from where I was sketching and the women were stowing the geese — 

 and away to the creek. Yet these eggs were all carefully covered up. 

 They were five in number, and considerably incubated.' 



This was a late nest. The date for the appearance generally of the 

 young on the lakes may be put about the 21st of July. At this date 

 every little lake held a duck or two with young ones. They are much 

 more wary than the long-tailed ducks, and very hard to drive. 



This is an excellent bird to eat ; whereas the long-tailed duck is very 

 poor food. 



We saw nothing of the common eider on Kolguev. The Samoyeds 

 did not recognise its picture, though they knew the king eider's at once. 

 I examined carefully very many of the birds brought in, but they all, 

 like those I have brought home, were unmistakably king eider ducks. 



Mergus merganser (linn.). Goosander. 



Krahal dlimionosoy (R.). Harrl-gart (S.). 



We saw three goosanders near the harbour entrance on July 25, and 

 a party of eight of these birds were off the sand-banks on July 29. 



(Edemia nigra (linn.). Common Scoter. 



Cliernaya iitka (R.). Si-e-gle-via. 



On July 26 a big flock of these birds came in with the tide and were 

 diving off the sand-banks, ' the leading bird disappearing first, then the 

 next, and so on in order right out to the tail. Then on rising they 

 would all close up together, and again string out and dive as before.' 

 I saw nothing else of the scoter. 



