i So 



SIBERIA IN EUROTE. 



CHAP. XV, 



bunting ; and we took two of their nests in the tussocky 

 riil<>-es between the little bogs. The next commonest bird 

 was the red-throated pipit ; and we took two of their nests 

 in similar positions. As we marched across the tundra we 

 fell in with some dunlins,* and took a couple of their nests. 

 This was encouraging. The dunlin was a bird we had not 

 seen at Ust-Zylma, and one possibly that migrated direct 

 across country from Ust-Ussa. We had not walked more 

 than a couple of miles inland before we came upon a 

 small party of plovers. They were very wild, and we found 

 it impossible to get within shot of them ; but a distant view 

 through our binocular almost convinced us that we had met 

 with the grey plover t at last. We had not walked very far 



* The dunlin (Tringa alpina, Linn.) 

 is a circumpolar bird visiting the 

 British Islands in winter, and breeding 

 in considerable numbers in Scotland, 

 bring most numerous in the autumn 

 migration. Its principal breeding- 

 ground is on the tundras beyond the 

 limit of forest growth, but it is also 

 found nesting in considerable numbers 

 south of the Arctic circle. It winters 

 in the basin of the Mediterranean and 

 in Africa as far smith as Abyssinia. 

 Eastwards it winters in Beloochistan, 

 India, China, and Japan. On the 

 American continent it migrates a- far 

 south as the Southern States and Cuba. 

 This was another of the species which 

 we did not see on migration at Ust- 

 Zvlma, the bulk of the migration pro- 

 bably taking place along the coast. 

 We met with it on the tundra as far 

 north as we went. 



f The grey plover (Sqnatarola helve- 



/*'-■ '. Linn.) was one of the birds which 



we tailed to observe at Ust-Zylma during 



migration, the main flocks probably 



migrating along the coast. To obtain 



the eggs of this species was one of the 



principal objects of our journey, the 



only authentic specimens known to 



exist being those collected by Midden- 



dorfl near the north-east cape in Siberia. 



The grey plover is a cosmopolitan bird. 



being found more or less abundantly 



in every portion of the globe. In the 



Lritish Islands it is only known as a 



spring and autumn migrant, being 



much more numerous in the latter 



season than in the former. Its breeding 



nds are the tundras above the 



limit of foi-e.-t growth, where, however, 



it appears to be extremely local. It 



passes through Central and Southern 



Europe on migration, wintering in 



