THE BANKS OF THE ZYLMA. 



CHAPTER X. 



Gulls Species new to Europe Fresh arrivals Duck-shooting Bird-life in the 

 forest Gulls perching in trees Break-up of the ice on the Zylma On the 

 wrong bank of the river Dragging the boats across the ice Final break-up of 

 the ice on the Petchora. 



THE same evening, as we sat at the window of our rooms 

 writing up our journals, and now and then looking up to 

 glance through the rain at the ever-impressive scene before 

 us, the great river Petchora, suddenly we descried upon the 

 ice a flock of (it might be) two hundred gulls. In the twinkle 

 of an eye, we had donned our indiarubber boots and were 

 wading through the streets of Ust-Zylma. As we neared 

 the birds we made sure, from their note, that the larger 



