CHAP. xii. RED-THROATED PIPITS. 129 



brace of wood-sandpipers and a ring-dotterel, I crossed a sand- 

 bank to a marshy pool. The muffled croak of numerous toads 

 or frogs kept up a sound resembling that of gurgling water. 

 On my approach the whole tribe disappeared and hid in the 

 mud. After I had waited a while, three slowly put up their 

 noses above the surface. I fired ineffectually upon the 

 reptiles, but I started seven or eight sandpipers and a red- 

 throated pipit, upon which I set off at once in pursuit 

 of the last bird. I presently found myself on a marshy 

 piece of ground, covered with grassy hillocks, in the narrow 

 trenches between which pipits were sitting. As I walked 

 on they rose at my feet on all sides, and I soon had half-a- 

 dozen within shot. I brought down a bird with each barrel, 

 re-loaded, and, as I walked up to my victims, there rose 

 between me and them two or three pipits, who evidently 

 preferred being shot to being trod upon. Unfortunately I 

 had but two cartridges left, so, bringing down another brace, 

 I went back to our quarters for more ammunition. On 

 returning to the open marshy ground, I found the birds still 

 there, and very soon secured another half-dozen. My last 

 shot was a double one. As I was getting over the soil upon 

 which some pipits had been sitting, a hawk rushed past 

 clutching a bird in its claws. A dozen wagtails set off after 

 it in vociferous pursuit, i followed more quietly, and soon 

 had the satisfaction of laying a male sparrow-hawk* upon 



* The sparrow - hawk (Accipiter 

 nisus, Linn.) is a resident in the British 

 Islands, inhabiting the whole of Europe 

 and Northern Asia. In the extreme 



north it is a migratory bird, wintering 

 in North Africa, India, and China. In 

 the valley of the Petchora we only 

 identilied one example at Ust-Zylma. 



