PET CHORA 



407 



July 8. 



Thursday, the 8th of July, was a red-letter day in our 

 journal. Feodor returned triumphant, bearing the skin 

 with the bill separate from the skin. The bills of the 

 Swans procured here are usually cut off for the children 

 to play with. 



Feodor walked from Kuja to Mikitza, but on his 

 arrival found that the peasant had gone to another place 

 to fish. He bought the Swan's skin, however, for a rouble, 

 and also secured the bill. It was, fortunately, the only 

 Swan's skin in the house. The skin inside is still greasy, 

 and has every appearance of having been quite lately 

 prepared. 



The eggs were taken and the bird trapped 12 versts 

 beyond (i.e., lower down the river than) Stanavoialachta, 

 on an island called Pion-ni. 



It is undoubtedly the first identified Bewick's Swan's egg 

 we have seen. The others procured by us or examined by 

 us are all the Whooper Swan, and our wrong identification 



at Ust Zylma was owing to the difficulty of judging from 

 a coloured copy taken from an uncoloured plate. In the 

 coloured copy from Yarrell's wood-cut the yellow extends 



