437 
the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 
sun-light. Compare descriptions of various kinds of Duck's 
down given by Sommerfeldt ( f Zoologist/ June 1867, p. 776), 
in which, however, the downs are described from single sprays. 
Our method, we believe, will also be found useful in assisting 
to distinguish them. 
-j- Cygnus musicus, Bechst. 
Wild Swans were amongst the first migrants to appear; and 
the first note we have of their arrival is dated the 11th May. 
They were afterwards seen occasionally before the snow melted 
and up to the date of the breaking-up of the ice on the Zylma 
(20th May), but not again until the 12th June, when as 
we descended the river a flock of five or six were seen fre¬ 
quenting a lagoon, and were disturbed by the flag flying at 
our masthead as it appeared above the fringing belt of willows. 
Afterwards we saw Swans occasionally along the river, and 
numerously in the neighbourhood of Alexievka. We found 
a nest of eggs on an island opposite Kuya on the 17th June; 
and several nests were brought in by the Zyriani and by our 
own men, who were expressly told off to find Swans' nests, 
and, if possible, to secure the birds. In this latter part of 
their instructions, however, they signally failed; and we had 
almost despaired of identifying the rarer species and obtain¬ 
ing authentic eggs, although we felt tolerably certain that 
Swans of two sizes did pass Ust Zylma on migration. We 
saw Wild Swans frequenting the kourias " and delta gene¬ 
rally up to the last days of our stay. As we left Alexievka 
on our voyage home on board the f Triad' we met five boats 
returning from Yarandai; and we were told by the Russian 
sailors on board the steamer which was towing us out of the 
river that they would bring many furs and Swans' and other 
skins to the great markets. At the end of August boats 
return from the still more distant island of Kolguef with many 
Swans' skins, and the down of various species of wildfowl. 
We regretted that we could not have remained one day longer 
at Alexievka to have seen these Yarandai fishermen as they 
passed. These stores of furs and birds' skins, reindeer's 
