AT ALEXIEVKA 13J:. 



Three rooms were generously placed at our disposal,-- 

 and we proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as- 

 the circumstances would permit. Our first care was tO' 

 buy a brace of willow-grouse and a bean-goose for the 

 pot ; our next to purchase eggs of the yellow-headed 

 wagtail, bean-goose, willow-grouse, and long-tailed duck. 

 A nest of the white wagtail which we found contained 

 remarkably brown eggs ; it was made chiefly of roots and 

 a little stalky grass, and was lined with reindeer hair. 

 The next day peasants brought us two nests of the 

 yellow-headed wagtail, which were also composed of fine 

 roots and dry leafy grass, the inside lined with reindeer 

 hair ; one had, besides, two small feathers and a piece of 

 duck-down. 



The mosquitoes, which of late had tried us severely, 

 were now giving us a respite, driven back by the cold 

 north wind and occasional snowstorms. All day I kept 

 indoors, going out but for half an hour, when I bagged a 

 Siberian chiffchaff and a red-throated pipit perched in a 

 tree. The nests came in plentifully. The first day of our 

 stay there were brought to us those of the blue-throat, 

 the redpoll, the reed-bunting, the willow-warbler, two of 

 the bean-goose, with the goose snared upon it, and one 

 of the pintail duck. With these were brought two 

 wigeon's eggs. The weather continued very cold ; the 

 Petchora looked sullen and tempestuous under the dark 

 sky and bleak wind. The next day we again kept indoors, 

 profiting by our enforced captivity in having a general 

 overhauling of our skins. We found the Siberian chiff- 

 chaff the commonest warbler amongst the willows of 

 Alexievka. Its note is a " ching-chevy " repeated three 

 or four times in rapid succession with the accent laid on 

 the " ching," and the warble generally, but not always, 

 ending with a final " ching." Probably owing to the 



