202 SIBERIA IN EUROPE. CHAP. xvn. 



like terns over the tundra, in parties of seven or eight; 

 now and then we had met a pair alone, on the ground. They 

 were always wild, difficult to approach, and hitherto we had 

 succeeded in shooting a few only. As I neared the spot 

 where the large flock was assembled, I watched them alighting 

 on the banks near the great river. I walked towards them, 

 and soon caught sight of a score of herring-gulls, on the shore 

 to the right. Before I had got within a hundred yards of the 

 latter, they all rose and flew towards me ; the skuas also rose 

 and followed them. I let the gulls go by and aimed at the 

 nearest skua, as soon as it came within range. Fortunately 

 I brought it down ; that moment I was surrounded by about 

 a hundred or a hundred and fifty skuas, flying about in all 

 directions, generally about ten remaining within shot. They 

 were very noisy, uttering a cry like " hack, hack " as they 

 darted towards me, or screaming wildly as they flew about. 

 This lasted about twenty minutes, during which I finished 

 what remaining cartridges I had, some of which were dust. 

 I missed several birds, but left seven killed and wounded 

 on the field. My companion now joined me; he brought 

 down four more and a Bichardson's skua ; the birds then 

 all retired except one, that kept flying from one to the other 

 of us, every now and then making a downward swoop, like 

 a tern, over our heads. We soon discovered the cause of 

 its anxiety ; a young skua in down, a day or two old, lay on 

 the ground at our feet. Our search for nest or eggs was 

 vain. As it was getting late, after shooting a pair of dun- 

 lins on a space of marshy ground, and a willow-grouse 

 among some dwarf willows, we returned to our boat, resolv- 



