312 TRAVELS OF A NATURALIST 



old birch wonders never cease ! A Peregrine Falcon 

 sported overhead, and Eedstarts were seen for the second 

 time. 



Piottuch, who had started along with us, was bent on 

 la chasse aux canards, and w T hen we met him in the 

 evening he had bagged two Pintails, and I afterwards 

 got another. 



Four swans flew down the river, and with my binocular 

 (one of Steward's, the ' Duke ') I could make out that the 

 feet were black, or dark-coloured, and that the birds were 

 large. Thousands of Ducks were scurrying through the 

 air in every direction, and we believe that there were few 

 others but Pintails. Every bird that came within 

 identification-range was of this species, except the above- 

 mentioned Shoveller. Few Geese put in an appearance. 



In the evening later Piottuch and I sallied forth to 

 the same place expecting some sport at flight-time. I 

 took up my position in perhaps the best spot in the 

 whole meadow, if I judge by the number of shots I got 

 and the regularity with which Duck passed the place. 



The meadow is 1J versts long and about half a verst 

 wide (including the long slope from the level down to the 

 Zylma). At the west end, on the higher plateau, stands 

 M. Znaminsky's ' shooting-box.' Round it on the land- 

 ward side is slightly higher ground still, faced by a bank 

 about 15 feet in height. At the foot of the bank, all the 

 way round, is a hollow forming a ' kouria,' or backwater, 

 when the river is in flood, but at present filled with snow, 

 snow-slush, and snow-water, 2 to 3j (or more) feet deep. 

 All over the meadow there are similar dips and hollows, 

 covering from 50 square yards to an acre. Studded up 

 and down are old willow- trees, many with living branches, 

 but far more dead and branchless, the weird contorted 

 stumps alone remaining. Round those that stand in the 

 hollows, slush and snow has accumulated, but round 



