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on the Trans-Siberian Railway Line . 
noon we passed through a country absolutely fiat, but well 
wooded with silver-birch and fir trees, and in the afternoon 
through open prairie land with scattered strips and clumps of 
wood. In the forenoon I noticed the first Starlings ( Sturnus 
vulgaris), and Jackdaws ( Corvus neglectus) were plentiful. 
In the more open country Kestrels were numerous and I 
saw one or two Sparrow-hawks. 
June 7th .—In the forenoon I saw the first Grey Crow 
(Corvus cornix), but many others appeared as the day went 
on. Jackdaws ( C . neglectus) continued to be numerous, and 
Magpies, which I had not seen for some days, were again 
plentiful. Starlings were very abundant, and near every 
house, elevated on poles or fastened in trees, were little 
nesting-boxes for these birds, of which they gladly availed 
themselves. Carrion-Crows were scarce. Swallows were 
much in evidence and White Wagtails were abundant. I 
first saw Cuckoos ( Cuculus canorus) to-day, and they were 
plentiful. Kestrels also were very numerous. To-day we 
passed through Mariinsk and Bogatyr. 
June 8 th. —The morning and forenoon of this day found us 
in a steppe country which was studded by numerous small 
shallow lakes fringed with reeds, whilst huge marshes 
spread on either side of the line as far as we could see. 
We passed Kainsk in the forenoon. Ornithologically this 
day was full of interest and I saw many birds hereabouts 
which I had not observed elsewhere. Waterfowl, as might 
be expected, were abundant. Mallards were numerous and 
almost certainly breeding; and I saw a pair of Grey Lag 
Geese which probably had a nest, they were not far from the 
line and seemed quite undisturbed by the proximity of the 
train. 
We passed several colonies of Black-headed Gulls ( Larus 
ridibundus ), but these birds were not very numerous. 
Coots ( Fulica atra) and Little Grebes [Podicipes fluviatilis) 
w r ere fairly plentiful, and in the drier parts of the country I 
saw a good many pairs of Lapwings ( Vanellus vulgaris). 
In the early afternoon we left the lakes behind us and 
the train ran through open grassy country with occasional 
