NUTCRACKERS 



349 



skinned him I thought I had rarely, if ever, seen so 

 beautiful a warbler. It seems that a fine voice and gay 

 colours do sometimes coexist in birds as well as on the 

 stage. In the afternoon I shot another very interesting 

 bird, the blue-rumped warbler; I did not hear his song 

 when I came upon him ; he was busily engaged searching 

 for insects, principally at the roots of trees. Nor was my 

 morning's second walk entirely a blank, as I shot a 

 yellow-browed warbler. The 

 snow in the forest still made 

 walking difficult and dis- 

 agreeable. I saw a small 

 flock of perhaps half a dozen 

 birds, which, judging from 

 their notes, I am all but sure 

 were waxwings ; I could not 

 however get near enough to 

 identify them. 



Whilst I was walking in 

 the forest, picking my way 

 amongst the swamps and the 

 few remaining snow-fields, I 

 was delighted once more to hear the alarm-note of the 

 nutcracker. I was, however, unable to get a sight of 

 the bird. A fortnight before they had been common 

 enough near our quarters. These birds seem to be well 

 aware of the fact that offal and scraps of food of all kinds 

 are always to be found in winter near the habitations of 

 man. Their tameness had been quite absurd. Some- 

 times the Ostiak children shot one with a bow-and-arrow, 

 and occasionally one was caught by the dogs. When 

 the breeding season began they seemed entirely to 

 change their habits. About the yth of June they retired, 

 apparently, into the recesses of the forest. I was very 



RUSSIAN IKON 

 (Brass and enamel) 



