THE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER 371 



started up near us, and began most persistently to utter 

 the alarm-note of the yellow-browed warbler, a note 

 which I had learned in Giitke's garden in Heligoland. 

 As it kept flying around us from tree to tree, we naturally 

 came to the conclusion that it had a nest near. We 

 searched for some time unsuccessfully, and then retired to 

 a short distance and sat down upon a tree-trunk to watch. 

 The bird was very uneasy, but continually came back to a 

 birch-tree, frequently making several short flights towards 

 the ground, as if it were anxious to go to its nest, but 

 dared not whilst we were in sight. This went on for about 

 half an hour, when we came to the conclusion that the 

 treasure we were in search of must be within a few yards 

 of the birch-tree, and we again commenced a search. 

 In less than five minutes I found the nest, with six eggs 

 in it. It was built in a slight tuft of grass, moss, and 

 bilberries, semi-domed, exactly like the nests of our 

 willow-warblers. It was composed of dry grass and moss, 

 and lined with reindeer-hair. The eggs were very 

 similar in colour to those of our willow- warbler, but rather 

 more spotted than usual, and smaller in size. 



The special interest attaching to this discovery lies in 

 the fact that the yellow-browed warbler has more than once 

 been shot in the British Islands, and has thus obtained a 

 place in the list of British birds. Its eggs were previously 

 unknown ; those obtained by Brooks in Kashmir having 

 been lately discovered to belong to a nearly- allied, though 

 distinct, species, the validity of which that keen-eyed 

 ornithologist was the first to point out.* 



The next morning Boiling and I rose at one o'clock, 

 soon after sunrise, and rowed across the Kureika to 

 explore the opposite banks of the river. The morning is 



* It should, perhaps, be stated that the validity of this species has not been 

 universally recognised by ornithologists. — Ed. 



