124 OUR VOYAGE TO THE DELTA 



date themselves to the circumstances of a flooded country. 

 We found the little bunting very common, and just 

 beginning to build. Once or twice a white-tailed eagle 

 hovered overhead. In long grass covering the raised 

 bank of the island we discovered a blackcock's nest con- 

 taining five eggs ; also a wigeon's nest, with seven eggs, 

 and a teal's with six. < 



The next afternoon we left the Yorsa River : the day 

 was fme, but the wind contrary. We stopped for an 

 hour at Churvinski Ostroff, and had a short stroll on 

 shore armed with walking-stick guns. My companion 

 shot a tree-sparrow, and I a small spotted woodpecker. 

 We also started a three-toed woodpecker out of its hole 

 in a tree ; I shot it, when immediately the female came 

 up, and I secured her also. We whistled for our boat- 

 men, who, by our orders, cut down the tree. The bird's 

 hole was about fifteen feet from the ground, descending 

 nine inches perpendicularly ; there was no lining in it, 

 except plenty of saw- or rather beak-dust. It contained 

 two newly hatched birds and one egg. On our way back 

 we shot a pair of yellow-headed wagtails ; the female had 

 dry grass in her beak, which she was evidently carrying 

 to build her nest. The male was not fully mature, having 

 the nape brown, and dark feathers amongst the yellow of 

 the crown. The yellow of the hen-bird was much less 

 brilliant than that of her mate, and the head and cheeks 

 were greenish- brown, with the exception of a pale yellow 

 streak over each eye, meeting across the forehead. A few 

 miles lower we brought down two little buntings and an 

 oyster-catcher ; we also took a brambling's nest and a 

 duck's, both containing eggs. That evening we saw our 

 first Arctic tern. We spied them from a distance, and 

 brought them within range by imitating their notes. We 

 suspected this species by the ash-grey colour of the lower 



