SWANS' NESTS 151 



of the tundra, but a cold north wind kept the hilltops 

 clear. 



Hitherto, we had been unable to identify the swans 

 that during our voyage had flown overhead, or settled on 

 the ice in the river. We were convinced that there were 

 two different sizes, but had been unable to establish the 

 fact. On an island near Kuya we had found one nest 



A SWAN'S NEST 



containing four large eggs, but we had failed to secure 

 the bird. To determine the breeding haunts of Bewick's 

 swan was one of the principal objects of our journey, but 

 as yet the offer of five roubles reward for any swan's 

 eggs accompanied by the parent bird had resulted only 

 in two or three nests being brought to us without the 

 bird. Our Samoyede now brought us two swan's eggs 

 that he had found thrown out of a nest, and advised us 

 of a second nest containing four eggs. We despatched 

 him at once to the latter with a trap to try and catch the 



