the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 301 
bunches or single stems of which are also found growing 
through the Sphaynum-covered portions. 
The grey hummocky ground is curiously intersected by nar- 
row natural trenches, about a foot and a half deep, which are 
probably formed by the snow-water as it trickles down towards 
the pools and inland sea in spring. ‘These trenches are 
mostly at right angles with one another and connected, form- 
ing raised squares of tundra between. Their edges and sides 
bear arctic brambles in greater profusion than the rest of the 
surrounding slopes ; and the bottoms are usually covered with 
grasses and Carices, though sometimes bare of vegetation, and 
showing only the dark peaty soil. Looking at the thick beds 
of arctic brambles and the dry, conveniently deep, comfor- 
tably broad trenches, one could not help thinking of how 
luxuriously one might rest in them, and—to use the happy 
expression of a travelled friend, in reference to the “ multe- 
bor” of Norway—“ milk the rich juices of their fruits into 
his up-turned lips ;” but, alas! the mosquitoes !! 
Having now endeavoured to describe the general aspect of 
the inland sea and-its surroundings, and the more charac- 
teristic features of the Little-Stint ground, we propose to go 
even a little further into detail, and relate the discovery of 
each of the sets of eggs and young which we obtained, and 
which, for more convenient reference, we will number 1, 2, 
3, 4, 5, 6, and 7—Nos. | and 2 being young in down, and 
the others complete sets of eggs. Besides these we obtained 
another single young bird somewhat older than these. 
As already mentioned (p. 297), after landing and depositing 
our baggage on board and in the hold of the wreck, we went 
along shore towards the inlet. Here we searched the edges 
of the pools in the meadow and of the ooze of the inland sea 
for Stints. Dunlins were abundant; and small “trips” of 
Stints were frequently detected careering overhead, or wheel- 
ing over the water; but they were wild, and seldom offered a 
fair shot. We went over the whole of the peninsula, and shot 
son, of Glasgow University, and Mr. John Sadler, Vice-Secretary, Royal 
Botanical Society, Edinburgh. 











