Mr. II . Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 11 



the bird from the nest, which contained three eggs. My next 

 nest of this bird was taken on the 14th of July, and contained 

 four eggs. It was placed in the branches of an alder-bush, 

 about four feet from the ground, and within twenty yards of 

 the water's edge. It was rather more carefully constructed 

 than the one I previously found, and composed of dry grass, 

 semidomed, and lined with Willow- Grouse feathers. The 

 third nest I took on the island of Mah'-la Brek'-off-sky, 

 about lat. 70^. This nest was similar in construction to the 

 others, but was placed in the rank herbage within a few inches 

 of the ground. The eggs in this and a fourth nest which I took 

 the same day (July 15th), were somewhat incubated. The 

 Siberian Chiffchaff lays a bold round egg, large for the size 

 of the bird, pure white, spotted with dark purple-red, almost 

 black. Sometimes the spots are of considerable size. I have 

 no hesitation in saying that the eggs which Harvie-Brown 

 and I brought from the Petchora, which we supposed to be 

 eggs of this bird, were only unusually small varieties of those 

 of the common Willow -War bier. 



I did not meet with the Siberian Chiffchaff further north 

 than 70^; but on the return journey I continually met with 

 it as far south as Yen-e-saisk'. On these occasions it was 

 carefully tending its newly fledged young. Its plaintive mono- 

 syllabic call-note was then often heard ; but it appeared to 

 have dropped the chivit' chivet.' 



PHYLLOSCOPUS FUSCATUS, Blyth. 



On my return journey I spent a few days in the middle of 

 August at Yen-e-saisk', devoting some time to the explora- 

 tion of the banks of the Yen-e-say'. The country was almost 

 flat, and for miles I wandered across an extent of meadow- 

 land which had recently been cut for hay. This meadow- 

 land is intersected with numerous half-dried- up river-beds 

 running parallel to the Yen-e-say'. These river-beds are 

 full of tall Carices and various water-plants, and are almost 

 concealed by willow trees. Occasionally the water is open. 

 One of the commonest birds in these swamps was Phyllo- 

 scopus fuscatus ; what we saw were mostly young birds not 

 fully fledged. 



