CHAP. XIII. 



DUCKS. 



149 



We saw a bean-goose, which had been shot a day or two 

 before our arrival. We saw a pair of swans ; and identified 

 the skin and head of one shot by a sailor a week or two 

 before our arrival, as belonging to the common wild 

 species.* 



Widgeons were by no means uncommon on the lake, on 

 the larger forest tarns, and on the open water in the marshes. 

 We shot a female off the nest, and took from it five eggs and 

 the down : it was built under a couple of fallen trees crossing 

 each other. The nest had been used the previous year, as 

 old egg-shells were under the down. Several others were 

 brought to us. 



The pintail was the commonest duck about Habariki. 

 We shot a female from the nest, taking nine eggs and the 

 down. This nest also was under a prostrate tree, and not 

 far from the widgeon's. 



We had one nest of teal with down brought us, together 

 with a male bird. They were not rare. 



The golden-eye was a common duck ; generally seen in 

 pairs on the open water in the marshes, and the larger 

 forest tarns. We shot a female, and took a perfect egg 

 from her. A nest in the hollow stump of a tree some 

 twenty feet from the ground was shown to us, and we were 

 told that these birds bred there every year. The nest contained 

 ten eggs and plenty of down. 



* The wild swan (Cygnus musicus, 

 Bechst.) is a winter visitant to the 

 British Islands, breeding on the tundras 

 of Europe and Asia, from Lapland to 



the Pacific, wintering in various parts 

 of Europe, Turkestan, and China. In 

 the valley of the Petchora we found it 

 as far north as we went. 



