22 BIRDS OF RUSSIAN LAPLAND 



six or eight lemmings and a toad to-day, the latter the first of its 

 species I remember having seen in the north. 



In the afternoon we steamed to Zip-Navolok (Tzuip navolok, 

 Arctic Pilot; Sibt Navolok, E. Rae), a small bay close to the n.e. 

 corner of the Ribatchi peninsula, which affords good anchorage in 

 all but s.E. winds. At one time this was a prosperous fishing station, 

 and Governor Engelhardt states^ that as many as looo men then 

 frequented it in the summer ; but the fish deserted the locality, and 

 the men followed them to other more favoured grounds. The few 

 inhabitants left appeared to be chiefly of Norwegian origin. One, 

 who acted as postmaster, had caught 300 seals during the last winter, 

 and another man had secured 200. 



We landed after dinner and walked across a large marshy district 

 to the coast on the N.E. side. There were many birds about, especially 

 Arctic Terns, Dunlins, and Red-necked Phalaropes, but they did not 

 appear to have nested yet. At the upper end of the marshes we 

 saw three " grey " Geese, and watching them was a grey or silver fox, 

 the first I had seen alive. For quite half the distance between the 

 two coasts the land is covered by great sand dunes, arranged in long 

 rolling ridges. 



June igtli. — We first rowed over to Anikiev Island, a bare 

 desolate spot clothed only on its highest parts with a little grass, 

 and composed of a dark grey schist pitched up till the strata is 

 almost vertical. The rock has been split by the frost in many places, 

 into pieces almost as thin as roofing slates. Near the centre of the 

 island is a large natural slab of rock, on which are engraved many of 

 the names of ancient navigators (chiefly Norse) who have called here. 

 The oldest inscription is said to be dated i 5 1 o, but the earliest we 

 could decipher was 161 5. 



After tramping over most of the island and finding nothing of 

 ornithological interest, we crossed to the mainland and walked up 

 the south side of the Anikievka river, a small stream entering the 



^ "A Eussian Province of the North," p. 124. 



