150 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



We next came to a large flat island covered with grass, 

 called (along with four others) Ostrov Teelanik (also 

 called Tscheike Ostrov), on which we landed. ' Our 

 Savage' (Nicholai) took us a long, level stalk on hands 

 and knees up to a bunch of Wigeon, at which we fired, 

 dropping four. Then round the shore of the island, 

 which is only raised about three or four feet above the 

 level of the sea, we saw many Temminck's Stints and 

 Kuffs. The Stints, as Alston noted, are. very pretty birds 

 as they hang hovering in the air, uttering a pleasing, 

 twittering note. The ' Savage ' brought in a good 

 specimen of the Little Stint, a female, in full breeding 

 plumage. He declares that this bird breeds on the delta, 

 that its eggs are a trifle smaller than those of Temminck's 

 Stint, and are laid among grass instead of on sandy 

 ground. We did not find any nests, nor did we see any 

 more of the birds. We intend to have a close search for 

 the nest, as it has not yet been taken in Europe, or, 

 indeed, anywhere. I also found a nest of four Terek 

 Sandpipers, and shot the bird/ These eggs are more 

 like those of the Common Sandpiper than any we have 

 as yet. 



The wind still kept fresh as we ran down to shelter in 

 an old log hut on Teelanik Ostrov, which we soon made 

 comfortable, as we purpose remaining here for some days 

 to work the islands round about. 



June 22. 



On Saturday morning, the 22nd of June, I went out with 

 Nicholai and shot a couple of Temminck's Stints, the 

 others staying in to skin. About three in the afternoon 

 we started for Goletz. On the way we again landed on 

 Tscheike Island, where I shot two Kuffs and Alston three 

 fine Grey Plovers in full summer dress. ' ' The Savage,' 

 however, says that they do not breed here. A hen 



