420 Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Occurrence of 
the Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Common Snipe, and 
Lapwing had fresh eggs, and the nests of the Red-legged 
Falcons (Falco vespertinus obscurus ) were ready, though as yet 
they were empty. 
On this day three local sportsmen, Messrs. Grabinsky, 
Tveritin, and Florinsky, were on the Irtysh River in a boat, 
and about 11 o’clock in the forenoon observed two Waders 
at the edge of the flooded meadow near the mouth of the 
Arkharka, one of which was probing the muddy ground, 
whilst the other was walking about close to its mate. In their 
manners they reminded the sportsmen of Greenshanks, but 
on account of their rust-coloured plumage it was concluded 
that they must be Godwits. They were quite tame, even 
when approached within forty paces, and Mr. Florinsky 
killed both birds with the same shot. As they seemed to 
be somewhat uncommon Mr. Florinsky brought them to 
Mr. V. E. Ushakow, a correspondent of Mr. S. A. Buturlin, 
who skinned them. Both were in a somewhat poor condition 
and rather lean, the stomachs containing small shells and 
river-ooze. Mr. Ushakow, with the assistance of Mr. 
Buturlin's e Synoptical Tables of the Birds of the Russian 
Empire' (in Russian), correctly identified the birds; but, 
inasmuch as the present species had not been recorded from 
further west in Siberia than Chita in Dauria, he was 
doubtful as to whether he was right, and sent the birds to 
Mr. Buturlin. On skinning the female bird Mr. Ushakow 
found in the lower part of the oviduct an egg fully coloured 
and quite ready for exclusion, which he carefully extracted, 
measured, and photographed. Unfortunately before he sent 
me this egg a mouse got at it and so damaged it that I have 
been unable to repair it sufficiently to photograph it in 
colour, so I have reproduced the photograph (p. 421) 
taken by Mr. Ushakow. 
This egg is somewhat glossy in the surface of the shell, 
like that of a Snipe, but in form and general coloration 
is not unlike that of a Godwit, though the ground-colour is 
rather more grey in tone and at the larger end there are two 
sharp reddish-brow r n stripes, such as are often found in eggs 
