OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 249 



also retire in countless numbers to rear their offspring. Odd birds have been 

 shot on the Siberian tundras during summer. Some of these were evidently 

 non-breeding individuals that had lingered south of the nesting grounds ; but the 

 bird obtained by Middendorff on the Taimur Peninsula, with a partially shelled 

 egg in the oviduct, most probably, in the light of recent evidence, was actually 

 breeding there. The few examples, however, seen on the Siberian tundras are 

 utterly insignificant in comparison with the vast numbers that are known to pass 

 north each spring. It is with great pleasure we have now to record the discovery 

 of the eggs of the Curlew Sandpiper during the summer of 1897 in the valley of 

 the Yenisei by that fortunate and most persevering naturalist Mr. H. L. Popham. 

 Mr. Popham has most obligingly communicated to me for the purposes of the 

 present work the following note on his grand discovery : "I found the nest on 

 one of the islands near the mouth of the Yenisei river on the 3rd of July, 1897. 

 The birds were very scarce there, and this was the only nest discovered ; so that 

 I suppose I was on the extreme western fringe of their breeding grounds. As 

 you may imagine we spent several days in the unsuccessful hunt for another 

 nest. The nest was a rather deep hollow in an open space among the coarse 

 grass and reindeer moss on a slight ridge somewhat dryer than the surrounding 

 swampy ground. The eggs, four in number, are like those of the Common Snipe 

 but smaller [average measurements, 1'45 by 1 inch] ; and also resemble some 

 eggs of the Purple Sandpiper. They have been figured for the Proceedings of 

 the Zoological Society [1897, p. 490, pi. h., figs. 1—4] . The bird at the nest 

 behaved somewhat like a Dunlin, with the exception that, as far as I could 

 ascertain, it was silent. The female was sitting on the eggs, which were found by 

 watching the bird until it returned to them." 



Diagnostic characters.— Tringa, with the bill decurved, and the upper 

 tail coverts white. Length, 7 to 8 inches. 



