NEST OF SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF 379 



outside an Ostiak's choom. As I approached, a little 

 bird flew out of it, and began to fly uneasily from tree to 

 tree, uttering the plaintive note which I at once recog- 

 nised as that of the Siberian chiffchaif. I looked into 

 the nest and saw it contained three eggs, pure white, 

 with dark red, almost black, spots. I retired about 

 twenty yards. The bird came back to the tree, and, 

 having apparently satisfied itself that its treasures were 

 safe, it began once more flying from tree to tree, still ■■ 

 uttering its plaintive alarm-note. To be perfectly certain 

 it was a Siberian chiffchaff" I shot it, and returned to the 

 ship with the first identified eggs of this species ever 

 taken. I found, besides, two solitary fieldfares' nests, 



SAMOYEDE PIPE 



about a mile from each other, from one of which I shot 

 the bird. So far as I could judge, the fieldfare was 

 rather a rare thrush there, and it did not appear to be at 

 all gregarious. During migration they were in small 

 flocks of about half a dozen birds, but afterwards I saw 

 them only in pairs. I also found three nests of 

 Temminck's stint, from two of which I shot the birds. 

 Sedge- warblers were very abundant, and a few pairs of 

 bluethroats frequented the willow. I saw both the white 

 wagtail and the yellow-headed wagtail. In the pine 

 forests the Arctic willow-warbler was very numerous. 

 Most of these birds were in full song, and apparently 

 thought that there was no occasion whatever to hurry 

 about nest building. One pair, however, were chasing 

 each other through the forest, uttering a note I had not 



