354 FULL SUMMER AT LAST 



I had a row up the river. We saw some common sand- 

 pipers and shot one. We also secured a female reed- 

 bunting and a Siberian chiffchaff in the willows, now half 

 under water, and we shot a pair of pine grosbeaks in the 

 forest. 



Some peasants from the village on the other side of 

 the Yenesei rowed across, bringing us some birds. 

 Amongst them was a green sandpiper and a curlew 

 sandpiper in full breeding plumage. They gave such a 

 glowing account of the number of birds near their village 

 that I went back with them. It took us nearly two 

 hours' rowing against wind and tide to reach our destina- 

 tion. I found they had not exaggerated; birds abounded. 

 The country was flatter, and thinly sprinkled over with 

 birch-trees. There were several lakes and pools of 

 water, and more grass and willow-swamps. I shot a 

 female hen-harrier, a bird I had not seen since the snow- 

 buntings left. I also shot a common gull, which com- 

 pleted my identification of this species made on the ist 

 of June. I saw willow-grouse and black grouse and 

 numberless ducks. I added to my list both the red- 

 throated and the black- throated divers, the red-breasted 

 merganser, the golden-eye duck, and the goosander, and 

 frequently recognised the wild cry of the scaup duck. I 

 found the red-necked phalarope very abundant in the 

 pools, and as tame as usual. I listened to a sedge- 

 warbler for some time, but did not succeed in shooting 

 it. I also followed a cuckoo, but could not get a shot. 

 I supposed it to be the European bird, but it had quite a 

 different voice. Instead of crying "cuckoo" it made a 

 guttural and hollow-sounding "■ hoo' " not unlike the cry 

 of the hoopoe. I afterwards secured an example of this 

 bird, and found it to be the Himalayan cuckoo [Cuculus 

 intermedius). I had an excellent opportunity of listening 



