144 STANAVIALACHTA 



on shore for a stroll. We soon saw some plovers, and 

 were in hopes of a second haul of grey plovers' eggs. 

 After a time our Samoyede discovered a nest, but the 

 eggs in it were of a much lighter ground colour than 

 those we had found before. We waited and shot the 

 bird, but to our disappointment it turned out to be a 

 golden plover. We afterwards saw several more. We 

 could not detect any difference in the habits of the two 

 species at the nest. We secured a bean-goose off its 

 nest with seven eggs, and were very successful in finding* 

 nests of small birds. We took eggs of reeve, ringed- 

 plover, willow-warbler, Lapland bunting, red-throated 

 pipit, blue-throated warbler, redwing, Temminck's stint, 

 and willow-grouse. The redwing's nest contained six 

 eggs. It was in a willow about four feet from the ground. 

 Redpolls were common, and oftener to be. met w r ith on 

 the ground than in the willow and birch-bushes. The 

 Lapland bunting we constantly saw both running and 

 hopping on the ground. These charming birds were very 

 tame and very numerous. They perched freely in the 

 bushes. They were busily employed in the duties of 

 incubation, and we rarely, if ever, heard them sing. In 

 Finmark I used to hear their song constantly ; but then 

 they were only just beginning to breed. We saw many 

 red-throated pipits, carrying flies in their mouths, evi- 

 dently destined to feed their young, and if we came 

 inconveniently near their nests they would fly uneasily 

 from bush to bush. Near a couple of deserted turf huts 

 we noticed the white wagtail and the wheatear. The 

 yellow-headed wagtail was also frequently met with on 

 the tundra, but not in anything like the numbers in which 

 we found it on the islands of the delta. On the banks 

 of the great river numerous Siberian herring-gulls were 

 slowly sailing past, and we shot four. I shot a Richard- 



