IN NORTH-EAST RUSSIA. 241 



contrast of the black and white on the birds, now rapidly assuming their 

 summer plumage, was especially beautiful as they fluttered from place to 

 place, and no doubt assisted to give to the flight its wild butterfly-character, 

 as if the bird altered its mind every few seconds as to which direction it 

 should take. They looked very pretty as they ran, like Wagtails, from one 

 manure-heap to another over the snow. Occasionally, but not often, we saw 

 them hop. They were particularly fond of perching upon the roofs of the 

 houses and on the rails which the peasants use for drying their corn, hay, or 

 flax ; and we were somewhat surprised to find them frequently perching in 

 trees. As soon as summer came they all disappeared. The last flock we 

 saw was on the 18th of May. The Redpoles, on the contrary, distributed 

 themselves over the forests, and probably remained to breed. 



We also found two other species of birds on our arrival at Ust Zylma — 

 the Bullfinch and the Yellowhammer, which were in small flocks and com- 

 paratively rare, but may possibly be early migratory birds in this district. 



Although we rarely missed a day without making long excursions on 

 our snow-shoes in the forests or along the banks of the great river, we did 

 not succeed in identifying another migratory bird until the 4th of May, when 

 we saw a Hen-Harrier, and on the following day a Merlin. These birds had 

 evidently come to feed upon the Snow-Buntings. We generally saw one or 

 two birds of both these species, as long as the Snow-Buntings remained, 

 whenever we made a long excursion; and all three species disappeared 

 about the same time. 



The next migratory birds that we saw appeared on the 10th of May. 

 By this time the sun had thawed the snow off^ a few of the steeper slopes, and 

 here and there, especially on an island in the river, a thin stream of water 

 flowed over the frozen mud. This seemed to be the signal for the appearance 

 of the Bean-Goose and the Shore-Lark. Neither of these birds probably 

 breeds south of the arctic circle ; and two or three weeks later, when the 

 snow had melted on the tundra, they had all disappeared from Ust Zylma. 

 On this day we saw our first Snowy Owl ; and on the following day our list 



