134 Mr. S. A. Buturlin on the 



mixed parties of Limosa baueri and Squatarola helvetica, 

 Totanus fuscus, Limicola sibirica, Tringa temmincki, T. sub- 

 arquata, T. sakhalina. T. maculata, and T. acuminata were 

 constantly to be seen at or near it, in company with lively 

 Black-capped Terns and flocks — mournful and silent— of 

 Xema sabinii. 



Rosy Gulls hovered over this lake catching flies and other 

 insects, or swam upon the surface, though they more often 

 sat on the snow and ice in the vicinity. Both birds of a 

 pair usually sat close together ; and if the male, easily dis- 

 tinguishable even at a distance by his much more intense 

 coloration, thought that others came too close, he actually 

 tried to push his mate to one side; or if a male attempted 

 to approach a second time (some of the younger, paler- 

 coloured birds not having as yet paired) he would engage 

 in a short fight with the intruder — in which he was some- 

 times aided by the female — with angry cries of "miaw- 

 miaw-miaw," to which the retreating culprit responded with 

 a u a-dac, a-dac, a-dac," repeated with different intonations. 

 Every now and then the male tried to express his feelings 

 to his mate by pecking her curiously, as if trying to kiss 

 her, with his open beak on her head or neck, or made a few 

 steps round her to one side or the other, shewing off as 

 some Pigeons do ; then with a sound like trrrrrr lowered 

 his neck and breast to the ground, and in this position, with 

 all the hinder part of the body, the tail, and the ends of the 

 folded wings high up in the air, continued for some seconds 

 his little promenade before the female, who very rarely 

 engaged in such antics. 



The note of Rhodostethia is peculiar, being high and more 

 melodious than that of Gulls in general, and very variable. 

 The cries that I most often heard resembled "a- wo, a-wo, 

 a-wo " and " claw, claw, claw" (or "cliaw, cliaw "). When 

 disturbed, the birds have a short cry of " via, via, via," and 

 if much disappointed a longer " kiaw, kiaw" or "kiaoo, 

 kiaoo, viaw." When quarrelling they utter " miaw, miaw, 

 miaw " and " a-dac, a-dac, a-dac," as already mentioned. 



The Rosy Gull swims easily, and sometimes I saw it 



