46 
THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. 
[chap. 
I myself saw it sitting on the top of a little hill, where it had 
its dwelling. 
Besides the animals enumerated above the natives talked of 
another, which is called by them nennet, and is said to live by 
the banks of rivers. According to their description it appears 
to be the common otter. As at most places where the lemming 
is common the loeasel {Mustela vulgaris, Briss.) is also found 
here. I got from the Chukches two skins of this animal. 
Whether the beaver occurs in the part of Chukch Land which 
we visited I cannot say with certainty. It is probable, because 
the Chukches informed me that there was found here a weasel 
which has the point of the tail black. 
“ Only two sea mammals have been seen in this region in the 
course of the winter, viz. the rough or bristled seal and the 
Polar hear. On two occasions traces of the latter have been 
observed in the neighbourhood of land. They appear, however, 
for the most part to keep by openings in the ice farther out to 
sea, where during our stay two of them were killed by Chukches 
from the neighbouring villages. The rough seal is probably the 
only species that occurs near the coast during winter. It is 
caught in great numbers, and forms, along with hsh and various 
vegetable substances, the main food of the Chukches. 
Of land birds there winter in the regionmnly three species, 
viz. an oivl (Strix nyetea, L.), a raven {Gorvus sjp.), and d, ptarmi¬ 
gan {Lagopns subalpina, Nilss.); the last-named is the most 
common. On the 14th December, during a sledge journey into 
the country I saw, about ten or twelve English miles from the 
coast, two large coveys of ptarmigan, one of which probably 
numbered over fifty. Nearer the coast, on the other hand, there 
were found, especially during spring, for the most part only single 
birds. The raven is common at the Chukch villages, and builds 
its nest in the neighbouring cliffs. The first egg was got on the 
31st May. The mountain owl was seen for the first time on the 
11th March, but, according to the statements of the Chukches, 
it is to be met with during the whole winter. In April and May 
we also saw some mountain owls ; on the 21st May I saw two. 
“ At open places in the sea there are found here in winter, the 
Chukches say, two swimming birds, the loom ( Uria Brilnnichii, 
Sabine) and the hlach guillemot (JJria grylle, L.). Of the 
former we obtained two specimens for the first time on the 
1st May, of the latter on the 19th of the same month. 
Possibly there winter in open places of the sea besides these 
birds a species of Mergulus, one of which came to the winter' 
quarters of the Vega on the 8rd November, and a Euligula, a 
