CHAPTER XLII. 



RETURN TO KUREIKA. 



Ornithological Spoils My Three Companions The Native Tribes 

 Birds on a Little Island Dolgan Names for Various Articles of Clothing 

 An Island Rich in Birds The Siberian Pipit Temminck's Stint 

 The Arctic Accentor My Doubts cleared concerning the Thrush seen at 

 Brekoffsky " Die Wilden " Evil Influences Need of a Hero in Siberia ?? 7 <7 

 The Two Curses of Russia Baptized Natives retaining their Charms 

 and Idols The Strange Hours \ve kept Marriage Ceremonies Funeral 

 Ceremonies Diseases Birds seen on approaching Dudinka Vershinsky 

 Golden Plover frequenting the Summit of Larch-trees Gulls Mos- 

 quitoes The Thames An Impenetrable Island Kureika in its Summer 

 Aspect. 



THERE is a great deal of truth in the old proverb that 

 "it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good." If my 

 visit to the tundra had not been delayed by the blunders 

 or the misfortunes of Captain Wiggins, I might still have 

 missed my birds. As it was, I brought home eggs 

 of three species of willow-warbler w r hich were almost 



