FRESH ARRIVALS 83 



fired from a distance, left one dead and one wounded on 

 the field. The smaller bird was undoubtedly the common 

 gull, but it was not at first so easy to determine to what 

 species the larger gull belonged. The colour of the 

 mantle was intermediate between that of the lesser 

 black-backed gull and the Mediterranean herring-gull, 

 but the wing pattern resembled that of the latter species. 

 Upon our return home, however, we cleared up the 

 difficulties surrounding our bird, and finding that it 

 had no colloquial name in our language we ventured 

 to christen it the Siberian herring-gull. The species 

 was not new to science, but we may claim to have 

 been the first to add it to the list of European birds. 



Another species new to our list was the golden 

 plover, which also arrived in flocks. These birds were 

 special objects of our attention, partly because they were 

 a valuable addition to our larder, and still more so 

 because we were anxiously on the look-out for the 

 arrival of the grey plover, the eggs of which were one 

 of the possible prizes which we hoped to obtain. All our 

 efforts to obtain even a glimpse of the latter species on 

 migration proved, however, in vain. As we subsequently 

 met with them on the tundra, we can only suppose that 

 they migrate to their breeding-quarters by a different 

 route, probably following the coast-line. If they do fly 

 across country, they must travel at such a high elevation 

 that they are rarely observed inland. 



Wild geese and swans increased in numbers daily, 

 and about this time flocks of wild ducks began to fly 

 up the Petchora. So far as we could judge, they seemed 

 to be principally pintail ducks, though we succeeded in 

 shooting a teal. 



Pipits also began to arrive in great numbers. They 

 were wild and difficult to shoot, apparently all flying up 



