P ETCH OR A 369 



Many false nests were found, but no eggs, and the birds 

 did not appear to be engaged in nesting. 



Seebohm and I after ' tchai ' went on different tacks 

 for a bit, and then met again. I had shot two Blue- 

 throats and Seebohm a Willow Grouse. 



We had by this time left the sand-hills and gone on to 

 a great moor covered with low thicket of dwarf willow in 

 the wet places, and dwarf birch (not the creeping birch 

 Betula nana) and juniper on the dry ridges and hillocks. 

 The birches were stunted and bushy to three feet or so 

 above the ground, and the main stems, which appeared 

 to have had severe struggles with the elements, suc- 

 ceeded in reaching a height of about nine or ten feet. 

 Perched in these bare birch-trees the Willow Grouse 

 were conspicuous objects, and could be seen over the 

 undulating plain quite a verst off. These birds are very 

 different in plumage from others obtained in Norway 

 61 N. lat'. at the same time of year, retaining the 

 white plumage of the body ; the head and neck alone 

 were in summer garb. 



Seebohm found a nest of Shore Larks with young, and 

 shot a Golden Plover which had one of the axillary 

 plumes splashed with smoke-colour. 



We shot two of the Singing Pipits (the Petchora Pipit), 

 one of which must have been at least an hour in the air, 

 continually rising and falling and singing perpetually. 

 Descending, it raised its wings after the thorough pipity 

 fashion, and perched on trees and bushes as well as upon 

 the ground. 



The Yellow-headed Wagtail was very abundant indeed, 

 and we had several vain searches for the nests, and 

 though the birds came close around and minutely 

 watched our proceedings, and were apparently anxious 

 at our presence, no signs of nests could be found amongst 

 the low stunted bushes. 



