
the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 227 
extent along the ground, and for quite halfa minute remained 
in this singular position. 
The following are a few extracts from Harvie Brown’s 
Journal. 
(Concerning the cries of the birds, considerable difference 
exists between our respective opinions as to how they should 
be rendered in words. They are, however, three in number :— 
first, the call-note between male and female, a double whistle, 
the first syllable short, the second drawn out; second, the 
alarm-note, a single plaintive whistle, about a half note higher 
than that of a Golden Plover; and, third, a treble whistle, the 
second syllable having a lower intonation than the first and 
third. This latter is not so commonly used, and appears to 
be the call-note of the males to one another when flying apart 
from the females, and is generally uttered when the birds are. 
flying high in the air. The males associate in small parties 
of three and four; and a peculiar phase of flight is then ob- 
servable. They rise to a great height and dash about in 
erratic curves, or diving down impetuously, rapidly rise again ; 
they then remain almost stationary, like a Temminck’s Stint, 
raising the wings over the back until they nearly meet, and 
finally, flying with long Tern-like sweeps of the wings, utter 
their musical treble note.) 
“ Oth July, 1875.—About 12 o’clock we went across to the 
tundra, this time higher up the river, beyond the ruined hut. 
Seebohm and I again renewed our search for Grey Plovers, 
and having found a pair, watched the female to the nest. 
This nest was placed at the foot of a ridge, close to damp 
ground, not on the top as was the case with the previous 
nests. We were a long time over this nest, quite an hour 
and a half, having at first lain down within ten yards of it. 
The bird, after we shifted our position, went on very quickly ; 
and I shot her as she again moved off. These four eggs are 
lighter-coloured than any we have got hitherto. 
“ Shortly afterwards we saw a bird fly off just where Simeon 
some time before had been searching. We at once lay down; 
and in about ten or fifteen minutes the bird went onto 
the nest, which contained also four eggs. This nest was on 











