280 Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown on the 



first shortly describe the different kinds of country at tlie 

 thirteen localities through which our line takes us, and 

 indicate the time spent by us at each. 



1. Ust Zylma (65° 26' N. lat.), our starting-point, is 

 situated on the east bank, on the elbow of land formed by the 

 noble semicircular sweep of the river as it changes its course 

 from westerly to almost due north. Behind the town, rising 

 ground, cultivated hill-slopes, backed with pine-forest. On 

 the west bank miles of meadows and willow-thickets, inter- 

 sected by hurias or creeks and backwaters, through which 

 the river Zylma flows from the westward. Beyond this 

 pine-forests again appear, and, further off still, the dim low 

 range of the Timan Mountains. We stayed here until the 

 ice broke up and floated away (15th April to 10th June), and 

 then proceeded down the river, stopping here and there to 

 collect and cook our food. 



2. HahariM (65° 47' N. lat.). — About 26 miles lower down 

 the river, and also situated on the east or right bank *. 



Round the village are a few acres of cultivated land, not 

 large enough, however, to tempt the large flocks of Lapland 

 buntings to alight. Round this, old forest of pine and larch 

 with undergrowth, and large marshes and woodland lakes 

 caused by the overflow of the river in spring, when the ice 

 breaks up (Ibis, 1876, p. 448). 



We visited this locality for two days in winter, and again 

 for three days in June, and also stayed for twenty-four hours 

 when on our way down the river — April 29th to 30th ; June 

 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 10th to 11th. 



3. Yorsa River (66° 13' N. lat.). — 33 miles or so lower 

 down the river, on the west or left bank. Here there was a 

 continuation of the low swampy meadows, marshy hollows, 

 and hurias^ with willow, alder, and birch. On the east bank the 

 pine-forest, we were told, comes north as far as a place called 

 Bougd,efskaya, between Habariki and the Arctic circle. The 

 islands below Habariki are for the most part willow-, alder-, 

 and birch-covered, like many parts of the banks. 



We stayed here June 13th from 5 p.m. till June 14th at 

 2 P.M., long enough to give us some idea of the local fauna. 



4. ChuvinsM (66° 33' N. lat.).— About 12 versts further 

 down the river, situated on an island close to the east bank 

 and almost upon the arctic circle. Here there were a few 

 houses and a patch of cultivation, surrounded by birch-woods 

 and willow-swamps. 



We stayed here a few hours on June 14th. 



* Habariki is really an island, but, being only separated from the fast 

 land by a nan-ow branch of the river, for all practical purposes it may be 

 reckoned as atandincr on the east shore of the river. 



