138 ALEXIEVKA 



middle, grown over with yellow-green moss, and sedges 

 towards the edge. They were separated from each other 

 by tussocky ridges of moor, which intersected the plain 

 like the veins on the rind of a melon. We found no 

 difficulty in going where we liked ; our indiarubber 

 waterproofs were all-sufficient. We crossed the wettest 

 bogs with impunity, seldom sinking more than a foot 

 before reaching a good foundation, a solid pavement of 

 ice. Birds were but thinly scattered over the ground, 

 but there were sufficient to keep our curiosity on the qui 

 vive. The commonest bird was the Lapland bunting, 

 and we took two of their nests in the tussocky ridges 

 between the little bogs. The next commonest bird was 

 the red-throated pipit, and we found two of their nests in 

 similar positions. As we marched across the tundra we 

 fell in with some dunlins, and took a couple of their nests. 

 This was encouraging. The dunlin was a bird we had 

 not seen at Ust-Zylma, and one possibly that migrated 

 direct across country to Ust-Ussa. We had not walked 

 more than a couple of miles inland before we came upon 

 a small party of plovers. They were very wild, and we 

 found it impossible to get within shot of them ; but a 

 distant view through our binocular almost convinced us 

 that we had met with the grey plover at last. On going 

 a little farther other plovers rose, and we determined to 

 commence a diligent search for the nest, and offered half 

 a rouble to any of our men who should find one. Our 

 interpreter laughed at us, and marched away into the 

 tundra with a " C'est impossible, monsieur." We appealed 

 to our Samoyede, who stroked his beardless chin and 

 cautiously replied, " Mozhna." The other men wandered 

 aimlessly up and down, but the Samoyede tramped the 

 ground systematically, and after more than an hour's 

 search found a nest on one of the dry tussocky ridges 



