120 A SUMMER ON THE YENESEI 



take the first authentic eggs of the curlew-sandpiper. 

 On 11th July, "having given up all hope of the ice 

 allowing us even to see Kuzkin Island," he returned 

 to Golchika. The birds of that neighbourhood men- 

 tioned on this expedition are Eastern golden plover, 

 little stint, and the grey plover, although of the 

 last species he writes : "I certainly saw far fewer 

 birds on the marshes where they were breeding in 

 1895." 



I reached Golchika on 29th June, and spent two 

 months there. During that time I observed the 

 Eastern golden plover, little stint, grey plover, grey 

 phalarope, curlew-sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, and 

 rock ptarmigan. 



It is evident that there is great discrepancy, not 

 only between these four lists, but even between the two 

 lists given by Mr. Popham in 1895 and 1897. I think 

 that it is very doubtful whether, if four censuses were 

 taken of the birds in a district in England, there would 

 be the same amount of variation. For instance, on his 

 second visit, although he was aware of their occurrence 

 and was doubtless looking out for them, Mr. Popham 

 does not record the grey phalarope, rock ptarmigan, nor 

 bar-tailed godwit, and he observes a decrease in the 

 numbers of the grey plover. But the most remarkable 

 list is that of Seebohm, who made two or three 

 excursions into the marshes and over the tundra. On 

 the 18 th he records : " I shot a couple of female little 

 stints, the first I had seen in the valley of the Yenesei," 

 and on the 19th: "On the hills I shot a male little 

 stint." We are left to infer tluit these three specimens 



