222 SIBERIA IN EUROPE. .chap, xviii. 



ridge of mossy land. When she has looked round, she runs 

 quickly to the next ridge, and looks round again, generally 

 calling to the male with a single note. The male seldom 

 replies ; but when he does so it is generally with a double 

 note. When the female has stopped and looked round many 

 times, then the male thinks it worth while to move ; but more 

 often than not he joins the female by flying up to her. The 

 female very seldom takes wing. She is very cautious, and, 

 if she is not satisfied that all is safe, will pass and repass 

 the nest several times before she finally settles upon it. The 

 female rarely remains upon one post of observation long; 

 but the male often remains for ten minutes or more upon one 

 tussock of a ridge, watching the movements of the female. 



We walked some distance before we came upon a second 

 pair ; but at length we heard the well-known cry, and got 

 info position. We spent nearly two hours over this nest, 

 and were quite at sea at the end of the time. We changed 

 our position several times, but to no purpose. The female 

 went here and tliere and everywhere, as much as to say, 

 " I'm not going on to the nest as long as you are so near." 

 By and by the mosquitoes fairly tired us out, and we gave 

 up the watching game and commenced a search. At last we 

 found out the secret of the bird's behaviour. We picked 

 up some broken egg-shells, and concluded at once that the 

 bird had young. We tried to find them, but in vain. 

 These two hours however were not wasted. The birds 

 came nearer to me than they had ever done before. I often 

 watched them at a distance of not more than ten yards, 

 and was able to hear their notes more distinctly. The note 

 most frequently used is a single plaintive whistle, Tcop, long 



