PET CHORA 349 



There is little to describe, unless it be the curious habit 

 or custom of the female part of the population, on the 

 occasion of a wedding, to enter into the house by instal- 

 ments, each carrying a clean coloured cotton or silk 

 handkerchief, held to the mouth while still in the folds, 

 and having a long stare at the newly -married couple. No 

 refreshment is offered them in the house, and all that we 

 could learn was that 'Oh! it is the fashion here.' We 

 thought at first that it was on account of the tobacco, but 

 we saw them afterwards when dancing outside still 

 'following the fashion.' The dancing was the most 

 solemn proceeding we ever witnessed. The beau held the 

 belle's arm and elbow and both walked in a circle, one of 

 the beau's feet being a pivot. It was like a funeral march 

 round a teacup. 



June 7. 



On Monday, the 7th of June, we worked hard at 

 blowing eggs, writing up journals, etc., while Piottuch 

 skinned. 



The new arrival to-day was the Scarlet Finch (Carpo- 

 dacus erythrinus). 



We took a short turn up the Siberian Chiffchaff valley, 

 but saw or heard none. We saw two Scarlet Finches and 

 Seebohm shot one. They were both males, and had a 

 very pretty note of four syllables, something like ' toowit- 

 tu-tui,' with the second syllable higher than the others. 

 The other note, which I remember well, and which I 

 heard the female utter at Archangel in 1872, was a low, 

 Greenfinch-like single ' zh-zh-zh-zh.' The birds were 

 both calling, and perched, one on the summit of a spruce, 

 and the other low down in a small larch. 



In the evening a nest of four eggs of the Wood Sand- 

 piper was brought to us. 



To-day we again heard the Cuckoo. 



