276 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



brought in by Samoyedes he could not say. We have 

 never had an opportunity yet of examining a Swan's 

 head. When the skins are cut up the heads are thrown 

 out. This egg may be a Bewick Swan's, or it may be 

 simply a small Common Wild Swan's. 



t ln the evening we took toddy brandy hot at M. 

 Arendt's, and the Captain described to us how the 

 Samoyedes bury their dead, an account which I will give 

 later. 



April 27. 



On Tuesday, the 27th of April, Seebohm and I crossed 

 the river on snow-skates and tried to get some birds. I 

 went up the Zylma a short way and searched the willow 

 swamps or meadows, but did not see a single bird. 

 Seebohm was more fortunate on the island and further 

 along the bank, seeing altogether sixteen or eighteen 

 Bullfinches and one Marsh Tit, shooting three of the 

 former and the Tit (but losing the Tit out of his pocket). 

 All the Bullfinches seen were males. 



We both came across ' springes ' set for hares or birds, 

 which shall be described when we get specimens of our own. 



This morning the first nest was brought in to us by 

 two men a Siberian Jay's with three eggs, but the latter 

 were all broken, having been packed in the nest with salt, 

 and Seebohm had some trouble in clearing the nest of the 

 salt, as it had got mixed up with the lining feathers. At 

 first we thought it was snow, and put it over the 

 Samovar to melt. 



We arranged to go down to Habarika with the Captain 

 to-morrow. 



April 28. 



The Captain did not turn up till near twelve noon on 

 Wednesday, the 28th of April, and then told us that he 

 could not go down to Habarika till night, so we arranged 

 to follow him early the following morning. 



