CHAPTER IX. 



THE ADVENT OF SUMMER. 



Mild Weather — Bear-tracks — Saddle of Bear — First Rain — Six New- 

 Migratory Birds — Magpie's Eggs — Cessation of the Winter Frost — 

 Return of Winter — A Wild-goose Chase — Cachets — Night on the Banks 

 of the Petchora — The Silent Forest. 



On the loth of May we had for the first time real summer 

 weather, which continued for some days. It thawed in 

 the shade as well as in the sun ; but, as there was not 

 much wind, the snow melted slowly. We drove up the 

 Zylma and took a long walk in our snow-shoes, returning 

 across the island ; but the pine and birch woods were 

 still almost deserted. We shot a pair of marsh-tits, heard 

 the cry of a great black woodpecker, and saw four wild 

 geese flying over our heads. On the island we fell in 

 with a small flock of shore-larks {^Otocorys alpcsh'is), and 



