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222s 3 Sa ESTE = 3238 
A Ste ei oa 


442 Messrs. H. Seebohm and J. A. Harvie Brown on 
the tundra before the great march-past of ice on the river 1s 
over, and whilst most of the islands are still under water. 
Soon after the young are hatched, before they are able to fly, 
these birds congregate in large flocks, and march slowly into 
the tundra to moult. The Samoyedes gave us glowing ac- 
counts of the grand battues which they used to have at these 
times, killing the Geese with sticks, and collecting large sacks 
full of down and feathers. Seebohm was fortunate enough 
to come across one of these migratory flocks of Geese. It was 
on the 27th July, whilst we were living in a wrecked ship on 
the shores of the lagoon at Dvoinik. He had crossed over 
to the North Twin Cape, and was skirting the margin of the 
river which winds inland between high banks of grass, when 
he heard a Joud cackle of Geese. A bend in the river gave 
him an opportunity of stalking them. As soon as he caught 
sight of them a most interesting and extraordinary scene pre- 
sented itself. Several hundred old Geese and about as many 
young were marching like a regiment of soldiers. ‘The van- 
guard, all old birds, were half across the stream, whilst the 
goslings brought up the rear, and were running down the 
steep slope towards the water as fast as their legs could carry 
them. Both banks of the river were strewed with feathers, 
where they had no doubt been feeding ; anda handfull of quill 
feathers was picked up in five minutes. They were evidently 
migrating to the interior of the tundra, moulting as they 
went along. The following day we discovered that our stock 
of provisions was entirely exhausted, and we sent a party 
after this flock of Geese. They met with them a few versts 
higher up the river, and succeeded in securing eleven old 
birds and five goslings. Most of the Geese were in full 
moult and unable to fly; and Piottuch told us that both old 
and young made for the water and attempted to conceal them- 
selves by diving. 
ANAS CLYPEATA, L. | 
The Shoveller does not appear to be so abundant on the 
Petchora as it was found to be on the delta of the Dvina, 
where it almost equalled in numbers those of the Pintail 

