PETCHORA 307 



singing. The single note of the latter is easily distin- 

 guishable from that of the allied species ; weaker and 

 more plaintive. 



Soon afterwards a small party of Golden Plover came 

 wheeling round us, and I succeeded in dropping one, and 

 we saw numerous other small flocks, one of which I 

 whistled round us, but we did not succeed in bagging 

 any of them. 



A considerable flock of Fieldfares and Redwings, the 

 former the more abundant of the two, alighted on the 

 skirts of the pine-wood, and we had a severe struggle in 

 vain through deep snow after them. A Chaffinch flew 

 close over my head as I was turning out the snow from 

 the tops of my boots, and I again heard him afterwards. 

 Seebohm identified a Yellow Wagtail, and a peasant 

 brought in a Book with a much-smashed wing. 



In the town to-day were many White Wagtails. Only 

 one small flock of Snow Buntings was seen, consisting, 

 I think, of about a dozen birds. 



May 18. 



On Tuesday, the 18th of May, the new arrivals were 

 Lapland Buntings, Teal Ducks, Whimbrels, Pintails, and 

 House Sparrow. 



Out behind the town this morning Seebohm shot a 

 $ Lapland Bunting out of a flock of Shore Larks, and 

 throughout the forenoon we found them abundant, 

 generally flying in company with Shore Larks, but dis- 

 tinguishable from the latter on the wing by their thinner 

 bodies and the more rapid motion of their wings. We 

 shot three other examples, all males. The alarm-note is 

 two-syllabled (the second shorter than the first) and liquid. 



We bagged two more Ked-throated Pipits, which were 

 as abundant as they were yesterday, but no tamer. We 

 also killed a female Hen Harrier, three Whimbrels,* 

 * The only ones we met with. 



