P ETCH OR A 237 



I shot a Hawfinch yesterday in the German Cemetery. 

 Its feathers were perfectly loose, and carne off in showers. 

 No disease was observable. It had been feeding on rye, 

 or some grain picked up at the foot of the windmills. 



The Common Sparrow in Archangel supplants the Tree 

 Sparrow, though in the villages southward to Vologda 

 and to Kargopol(on the St. Petersbourg route) the latter 

 bird seems to be the most common. 



March 25. 



On Thursday, the 25th of March, we examined, with 

 Mr. Shergold, a collection of mineralogical and geological 

 specimens 2,500 of them numbered, and say half as 

 many more unnumbered belonging to a widow, Mrs. 

 Katzoff, collected by her late husband. They were 

 principally Siberian, and many of them were once in the 

 Imperial collection (we were not supposed to be too 

 curious as to their present possessorship or how they were 

 come by). Many are also from various parts of the 

 world. They are catalogued with dates (?) and localities, 

 and the collection is complete as originally formed, none 

 having been parted with. Mrs. Katzoff wishes to part 

 with them, and when a Latin catalogue the present one 

 being in Euss is made out, I have promised to write to 

 England about the sale of them. 



March 26. 



On Friday, the 26th of March, a Samoyede came, from 

 whom we got the following information, Mr. Birse trans- 

 lating for us : 



His Samoyede name is Parmi, named from a Cape in 

 Kanin. His Euss name is Andre. He has a small 

 moustache and imperial, straight black hair, and typical 

 features. His age is above 50 (i.e., according to the 

 Eussian way of counting, ' in the sixth ten ' ) . 



We got him to sing, a most monotonous chant. The 



