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CONTRIBUTIONS (

TO THE

ORNITHOLOGY OF SIBERIA.

BY |
HENRY SEEBOHM.

During the last few years considerable efforts have been made,
principally by Professor Nordenskidld of Stockholm and
Captain Wiggins of Sunderland, to reopen to European com-
merce the ancient route to Siberia through the Kara Sea.
Last year (1876) Captain Wiggins left Sunderland on the
8th of July in the arctic steam-yacht ‘Thames’ (about 120
tons), and entered the Kara Sea on the 3rd Aug. He spent
some time in surveying the coast, and anchored in the gulf
of the Obb on the 7th of Sept. On the 23rd of Sept.
he began to ascend the Yen-e-say’*; and on the 17th of
October he had succeeded in making about a thousand knots

* In this paper I have endeavoured to spell all the Russian proper
names phonetically, showing also the syllable upon which the accent must
be laid, a matter of great importance in the Russian language.

~m”AYiLE De rere,

B 5082

174 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

against stream, and laid his vessel up in winter-quarters just
within the entrance of the Koo-ray’-i-ka river, on the arctic
circle, where she was frozen up the next morning. When the
ice on the river had frozen sufficiently hard to make sledging
safe, Capt. Wiggins left his ship in charge of the crew, and
returned to England by the overland route.

I did not meet Capt. Wiggins until the 24th of February ;
but finding that he was intending to return to his ship almost
immediately, I came to the conclusion that an opportunity
of visiting the Yen-e-say’ in company with a gentleman who
knew the way so well might never occur again, and I hastily
made up my mind to return with the captain to his ship, and
take my chance of coming home in her by the Kara Sea. I
am much indebted to Count Schouvaloff for kindly providing
me, almost at a moment’s notice, with letters of introduction,
which proved of the greatest service to me.

We left London on the evening of the 1st of March, and,
after spending a few days in St. Petersburg, reached Nishni
Novgorod on the morning of the 10th, a distance of about
2400 English miles. At Nishni we bought a sledge, and |
travelled over the snow 3240 English miles, employing for
this purpose about a thousand horses, sixteen dogs, and forty
reindeer. We left Nishni on the evening of the 10th of
March, and travelled day and night in a generally easterly di-
rection, stopping a couple of days at Tyn-maiu’, and a day at
Omsk, and reached Kras-no-yarsk’ on the morning of the
2nd of April, soon after crossing the meridian of Calcutta.
We rested a day in Kras-no-yarsk’, and sledged thence nearly
due north, spending four days in Yen-e-saisk’ and three days
in Toor-o-kansk’, and reached the ‘Thames’ on the Koo-
ray -i-ka in the afternoon of the 23rd of April.

For the first few days we found sledge-travelling somewhat
irksome; but we soon got into the full swing of it. After
having sledged a thousand miles or so, we began to feel that
the process might go on for weeks or months, or even years,
without serious results. I soon began to enjoy it. My
sledge-fever entirely left me; and I used to find a pleasant
lullaby in the never ceasing music of the “ wrangling and the

[2]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 175

jangling of the bells.” However rough the road was, I en-
joyed a good night’s rest; and if an unusually heavy “lee
lurch,” or “ weather roll,’ jolted me against my companion,
we only muttered that there was “‘a heavy sea on,” and
dozed off again. Snow, wind, rain, sunshine, day, night,
hills, valleys, plains, rivers, good roads, bad roads, it was all
the same ; on we went, and nothing stopped us. The scenery
through which we passed was very various. The first thou-
sand miles was hilly and well wooded. One might imagine
one was sledging through an endless Sherwood Forest, with
a hundred miles of the Peak of Derbyshire placed in the
middle to represent the Urals. The ground was covered
with from two to three feet of snow. Sometimes we seemed
to be sledging down a “broad drive,” sometimes crossing a
peak, and occasionally passing through a village. The forests
were principally spruce-fir, with a little larch and Scotch fir,
and plenty of birches. Sometimes we sledged for miles
through avenues of pines. The Ural range is a succession
of hills, which it took us some time to get through; but
the loftiest peak can scarcely be dignified with the name of
mountain. Between Tyu-main’ and Tomsk we had nearly a
thousand miles of a totally different class of scenery. The
steppes of South-western Siberia might be compared to
Salisbury plains. As far as the eye could reach, nothing was
visible but snow, sky, and telegraph-lines. Now and then we
came upon a few stunted birches ; and every fifteen or twenty
miles we passed through a village. About a hundred miles
before reaching Tomsk we again found ourselves amongst
hills and forests, which continued until the road permanently
established itself down the broad river.

The Yen-e-say’ is said to be the third largest river in the
world. In Yen-e-saisk’ the inhabitants claim that the waters
of their river have flowed at least two thousand miles (through
Lake By-kal’) to their town. In Yen-e-saisk’ the river must
be more than a mile wide. From Yen-e-saisk’ to the Koo-
ray’-i-kais about eight hundred miles. In this distance it has
gradually increased to a little more than three miles wide.
From the Koo-ray’-i-ka to the limit of forest-growth, where

[3]

176 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

the delta may be said to begin, is generally reckoned at
another eight hundred miles, for which distance the river
will average at least four miles in width. To this we must
add a couple of hundred miles of delta, and another couple
of hundred miles of lagoon, each of which will average twenty
miles in width, if not more.

When we reached the ship we found the crew well and
hearty. They had been amply provided with lime-juice and
dried vegetables ; and no symptoms of scurvy presented them-
selves. On the other hand, we afterwards learned that the
crew of a Russian schooner, which had wintered four degrees
further north without having been supplied with these well-
known preventives, had suffered so severely from scurvy that
only the mate survived the winter.

Our winter-quarters were very picturesque. The ‘Thames’
was moored close to the north shore of the Koo-ray’-i-ka, at
the entrance of a little gully, into which it was the captain’s
intention to take his ship as soon as the water rose high
enough to admit of his doing so, and where he hoped to
wait in safety the passing away of the ice. On one side of
the ship was the steep bank of the river, about a hundred feet
in height, and covered with snow, except here and there,
where it was too perpendicular for the snow to lie. On the
top of the bank was the house of a Russian peasant and
merchant, with stores and farm-buildings adjacent, and a
bath-house, occupied by an old man who earned a living by
making casks. One of the rooms in this house was occupied
by the crew of the ‘ Thames ;’ and after they had returned to
the ship I and my servant took possession and made it our
headquarters for bird-skinning &c. As we stood at the door
of this house, on the brow of the hill, we looked down onto
the “‘crow’s-nest”’ of the ‘Thames.’ To the left the Koo-
ray’-i-ka, a mile wide, stretched away some four or five miles,
until a sudden bend concealed it from view; whilst to the
right the eye wandered across the snow-fields of the Yen-
e-say’, and by the help of a binocular the little village of Koo-
ray’-i-ka might be discerned about four miles off, on the
opposite bank of the great river. The land was undulating

[4]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 177

rather than hilly, and everywhere covered with forest, the
trees reaching frequently two, and in some rare instances
three, feet in diameter. The depth of the snow varied from
four to six feet ; and travelling without snow-shoes, except on
the hard-trodden roads, was of course utterly impossible. I
generally made two rounds a day through the forest, and soon
exhausted the ornithology of the district. During the first
week I succeeded in identifying twelve species of birds. For
the next four weeks I only increased my list by a weekly
average of three species. June is the month in which nearly
all migratory birds arrive in the arctic circle. In the three
weeks between the 29th of May and the 18th of June I added
sixty-five birds to my list, and afterwards only occasionally
picked up a new bird which had escaped my notice.

We experienced great variety of weather on our journey
out. In St. Petersburg we alternated between a slight thaw
and a gentle frost. In Moscow and Nishni the snow was
melting rapidly. On the Volga we had occasionally to sledge
through a foot of water and half-melted snow. Over the
Ural hills we had bright sunshine and hard frost. Across
the steppes the weather was mild, but there was no absolute
thaw, and we had now and then slight snow-storms. After
leaving Tomsk the weather became decidedly milder ; and when
we reached Kras-no-yarsk’ we found a warm south-wester
blowing, the streets running with water, and everybody travel-
ling on wheels. Our journey northwards was a complete
race with the south wind. The red hills of Kras-no-yarsk’
were already bare of snow; the south-wester continued
blowing as warm as ever; sledge-travelling had, for the time
being become impossible, and we were obliged to organize a
caravan. For two stages we travelled in a tyel-ay’-ga, with
one tar-an-tass’ for our baggage, and a second for the empty
sledge. For the next two stages the road was covered with
snow, though it was somewhat soft ; but,we dismissed a couple
of our equipages, travelling ourselves in the sledge, and re-
taining only one tar-an-tass’ for the baggage. For the rest of
the journey to Yen-e-saisk’ we had brilliant sunshine and hard
roads. The south wind, however, overtook us before we left

[5]

178 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

that town, and for some days we had very sloppy travelling ;
but we pressed on day and night until we reached the entrance
to the Kah’-min Pass, the most dangerous part of the journey,
where the river flows through a comparatively narrow defile,
between high walls of limestone rocks, with such velocity
that in the middle of the stream open water remains all the
winter. We reached the station before this pass in the even-
ing, in a drenching rain, the first shower we had experienced,
and were told that it was impossible to proceed until a frost
should set in. When we rose in the morning we were both
surprised and delighted to find the thermometer at or near
zero; and the remainder of our journey was accomplished
without a thaw. When we arrived at the ship, we found that
it was still winter, and were told that there had not been a
sign of rain since lastautumn. April went by and May came
in, but still there was no sign of summer, except the arrival of
some of the earliest migratory birds. We generally had a
cloudless sky ; and the sun was often burning hot. Here
and there, on some steep bank exposed to the south, a shght
impression was made upon the snow ; but not a drop of water
survived the night frosts. On the 9th, 10th, and 11th of
May we had rain for the first time, and the prospects of sum-
mer looked a little more hopeful. The rest of May, how-
ever, was more dreary and wintry than ever, alternations of
hard frosts and driving snow-storms; but the river was slowly
rising, and outside the thick centre ice was a strip of thin
newly frozen ice. There was, however, little or no change
in the appearance of the snow. Up to the end of May the
forces of winter had gallantly withstood the fiercest attacks
of the sun, and remained masters of the field. On the Ist
of June the sun, baffled at all points, entered into an alliance
with the south wind, and a combined attack was made upon
the winter forces. The battle raged for fourteen days, the
battle of the Yen-e-sgy’, the great event of the year in this
cold country, and certainly the most stupendous display of
the powers of nature that it has ever been my lot to witness.
On the morning of the 1st of June the pressure underneath
the ice caused a large field, about a mile long and a third of

[6]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 179

a mile wide, opposite the lower angle of junction of the Koo-
ray’-i-ka and the Yen-e-say’, to break away. About half
the mass found a passage down the strip of newly formed
thin ice, leaving open water behind it. The other half rushed
headlong onto the steep banks of the river. The result of
the collision was a little range of mountains, fifty or sixty
feet high, and picturesque in the extreme. Huge blocks of
ice, six feet thick and twenty feet long, in many places, were
standing perpendicular, whilst others were crushed up into
fragments like broken glass; and in many other places the .
ice was piled up in layers one over the other. The real ice on
the river did not appear to have been more than two and a half
feet thick, clear as glass, and blue as an Italian sky. Upon
the top of this was about four feet of white ice. This was
as hard as a rock, and had, no doubt, been caused by the
flooding of the snow when the waters of the river had risen,
and its subsequent freezing. Upon the top of the white ice
was about eighteen inches of clean snow, which had evidently
never been flooded. When we turned into our berths in the
evening the captain thought it most prudent to institute an
anchor-watch. We had scarcely been asleep an hour before
the watch called us up with the intelligence that the river
was rising rapidly, and that the ice was beginning to crack.
We immediately dressed and went on deck. We sawat once
that the Yen-e-say’ was rising so rapidly that it was begin-
ing to flow up its tributaries. A strong current was setting
up the Koo-ray’-i-ka, and small floes were detaching them-
selves from the main body of the ice and were running up
the open water. By-and-by the whole body of the Koo-
ray -i-ka ice broke up and began to move up stream. Some
of the floes struck the ship some very ugly blows on the
stern, doing considerable damage to the rudder; but open
water was beyond, and we were soon out of the press of ice,
with, we hoped, no irretrievable injury. All this time we
had been getting steam up as fast as possible, to be ready for
any emergency. It was hopeless to attempt to enter the
creek opposite which we were moored, and which was now
only just beginning to fill with water; but on the other side

[7]

180 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

of the river, across only a mile of open water, was a haven
of perfect safety. But, alas! when the ice had passed us,
before we could get up sufficient steam, the river suddenly
fell three feet, and left us aground by the stern, and immo-
vable as a rock. Nor was it possible, with a current running
up the river at the rate of four knots an hour, to swing the
ship rourd so as to secure the rudder against any further
attacks of the ice. Half a mile ahead of us, as we looked
down the river, was the edge of the Yen-e-say’ ice. The river
was rising again; but before the stern was afloat we discovered,
to our dismay, that another large field of ice had broken up ;
and the Koo-ray’-i-ka was soon full of ice again. In the
course of the night the whole of the ice on the Yen-e-say’,
as far as we could see, broke up with a tremendous crash,
and a dense mass of ice-floes, pack-ice, and icebergs backed
up the Koo-ray’-i-ka, and with irresistible force drove the
Koo-ray’-i-ka ice before it. When it reached the ship, we
had but one alternative, to slip the anchor and let her drive
with the ice. For about a mile we had an exciting ride,
pitching and rolling as the floes of ice squeezed the ship, and
tried to lift her bodily out of the water, or crawl up her sides
like a snake. The rudder was soon broken to pieces, and
finally carried away. Some of the sailors jumped onto the
ice and scrambled ashore, whilst others began to throw over-
board their goods and chattels. Away we went up the Koo-
ray’-i-ka, the ice rolling and tumbling and squeezing along-
side, huge lumps climbing one on the top of another, until
we were finally jammed in a slight bay, along with a lot of
pack-ice. Early in the morning the stream slackened, the
river fell some five or six feet, and the ice stood still. The
ship went through the terrible ordeal bravely. She made no
water, and there was no evidence of injury beyond the loss
of the rudder. In the evening the ship was lying amidst
huge hummocks of ice, almost high and dry. The Koo-ray’-
i-ka, and right across the Yen-e-say’, and southward as far
as the eye could reach was one immense field of pack-ice,
white, black, brown, blue, and green, piled in wild confusion
as close as it could be jammed. Northwards the Yen-e-say’

[8]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 181

was not yet broken up. All this time the weather was warm
and foggy, with very little wind, and occasional slight rain.
There was a perfect Babel of birds as an accompaniment to the
crashing of theice. Gulls, Geese, and Swans were flying about
in all directions ; and their wild cries vied with the still wilder
screams of the Divers. Flocks of Redpoles and Shore-Larks,
and Bramblings and Wagtails in pairs, arrived, and added to
the interest of the scene. On the 2nd of June there was
little or no movement in the ice until midnight, when an enor-
mous pressure from above came on somewhat suddenly, and
broke up the great field of ice to the north of the Koo-ray’-
i-ka, but not to a sufficient extent to relieve the whole of the
pressure. The water in the Koo-ray’-i-ka rose rapidly. The
immense field of pack-ice began to move up stream at the
rate of five or six knots an hour. The poor ship was knocked
and bumped along the rocky shore, and a stream of water
began to flow into the hold. At 9 o’clock all hands left her,
and stood upon the snow on the bank, expecting her instant
destruction. The stream rose and fell during the day; but
the leak, which was apparently caused by the twisting of the
stern-post, choked up. Late in the evening an opportunity
occurred of a few hours’ open water, during which steam was
got up; and by the help of a couple of ropes ashore, the rud-
derless ship was steered into the little creek opposite to which
she had wintered, and run ashore. Here the leak was after-
wards repaired and a new rudder made. We calculated that
about fifty thousand acres of ice passed the ship up stream
during these two days; and we afterwards learned that most
of this ice got away some miles up the Koo-ray’-i-ka, where
the banks were low, and was lost in the forest.

The battle of the Yen-e-say’ raged for about a fortnight.
The sun was generally burning hot in the daytime ; but every
night there was more or less frost. The ice came down the
Yen-e-say’ at various speeds. Sometimes we could see gi-
gantic masses of pack-ice, estimated at twenty to thirty feet
in height, driven down the river at an incredible pace, not
less than twenty miles an hour. In the Koo-ray’-i-ka the
scene was constantly changing. The river alternately rose

[9]

182 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

and fell. Many square miles of ice were marched up for some
hours, and then marched back again. Sometimes the pack-ice
and floes were jammed so.tight together that it looked as if
one might scramble across the river without difficulty. At
other times there was a good deal of open water, and the ice-
bergs “calved” as they went along with much commotion and
splashing, that could be heard half a mile off. Underlayers
of the iceberg ground ; and after the velocity of the enormous
mass has caused it to pass on, the pieces left behind rise to
the surface, like a whale coming up to breathe. Some of
these “‘ calves”? must come from a considerable depth. They
rise up out of the water with a great splash, and rock about
for some time before they settle down to their floating-level.
At last the final march past of the beaten winter-forces in
this great fourteen days’ battle took place, and for seven days
more the rag, tag, and bob-tail of the great arctic army came
straggling down—worn and weather-beaten little icebergs,
dirty ice-floes that looked like mud-banks floating down, and
straggling pack-ice in the last stages of consumption. The
total rise of the river was upwards of seventy feet.

The moment that the snow disappeared vegetation sprang up
as if by magic, and the birds made preparations for breeding.
Although I had taken the precaution of providing myself with
a ship, the misfortunes of Capt. Wiggins delayed me on the
arctic circle for some weeks. As we passed through Yen-e-
saisk’ I bought a schooner of a ship-builder of the name of
Boiling, a Heligolander. I christened it the ‘Ibis ;’ and on
the 29th of June we left the Koo-ray’-i-ka with this little
craft in tow. Our progress down the river, however, was one
catalogue of disasters, ending in our leaving the ‘ Thames’
on the 9th of July a hopeless wreck, lying high and dry on
a sand-bank, in lat. 67°. As we sailed northwards in the
‘Ibis’ the forests became smaller and smaller, and disappeared
altogether about lat. 70°. The highest point we reached was
lat. 714°, where I sold the ‘ Ibis’ to the captain of a Russian
schooner, which had been totally wrecked during the break-
up of the ice. The tundras of Northern Siberia are almost
exactly like those of North Russia, and equally gay with

[10]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 183

brilliant flowers and ground-fruits of various kinds, swarming
with birds, and alive with mosquitoes. During this voyage
we had an excellent opportunity of making the acquaintance
of many native tribes, the Ost’-yak, the Tun-goosk’, the Dol’-
gahn, the Yu-rak’, and the Sam’-o-yade.

On the 23rd of July I left Gol-cheek’-a in the last Russian
steamer up the river, and reached Yen-e-saisk’ on the 14th
of August. After a few days’ delay I drove across country to
Tomsk, stopping a day or two in Kras-no-yarsk’. In Tomsk
I found an excellent iron steamer, in which I sailed down
the river Tom into the Ob, down which we steamed to its
junction with the Eer’-tish, up which we proceeded until we
entered the Tob-ol’, and afterwards steamed up the Too’-ra
to Tyu-main’, a distance by water of 2200 miles. From Tyu-
main’ I drove through Ekatereenburg across the Urals to Perm,
where I took my passage on board the ‘ Sam-o-lot’,’ or self-
flyer, down the Kama, and up the Volga, to Nishni- Novgorod.
In St. Petersburg I spent a week, and reached London on
the 9th of October, bringing with me more than a thousand
skins of birds, about five hundred eggs, and a eart-load of
native costumes and other ethnological curiosities. I every-
where met with the greatest kindness and courtesy, and am
very much indebted to friends, too numerous to mention,
who assisted me in many ways during my adventurous journey
of more than fifteen thousand miles.

The study of zoology is, I am afraid, more and more neg-
lected in Russia ; but there is still some amount of field-work
going on. ‘Taczanowski, the Curator of the Museum at
Warsaw, still receives from Dr. Dybowsky ornithological
collections from Lake Baical. Professor Strebelow, at Kras-
no-yarsk’, is an accomplished entomologist, and would, I am
sure, be glad to assist any European collector. Professor
Szoffzoff, at Omsk, is an excellent entomologist, and has also
a good knowledge of birds. The Kazan collection is in fair
order; but few of the birds in the Museum possess localities
or dates, and none of the Professors make ornithology a special
branch of study. The Eversmann collection has been sold
to the Museum at St. Petersburg for an old song. Sabanaeff,

[rr]

184 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

of Moscow, appears to have deserted ornithology altogether,
and to be immersed in literary pursuits. The splendid col-
lection of birds and eggs which he made in the Ural, and
presented to the Museum of Moscow, lies neglected and in
disorder, packed away indiscriminately in boxes, cupboards,
and drawers ; and many of them are without even a sheet of
paper to keep out the dust, or to protect them from moths. I
tried unsuccessfully to purchase this unique collection, to save
it from destruction. In St. Petersburg, Von Schrenk has, for
the time being, forsaken ornithology for the more popular
charms of ethnography. The ornithological curator at the
museum, Russow, is an enthusiastic field-ornithologist, and
is rapidly bringing the chaos of birds in that establishment
into excellent order, and will doubtless do good work in the
future. St. Petersburg has also an excellent amateur orni-
thologist in Bogdanoff. At Dorpatt, Von Middendorff has
retired, both from the University and from ornithology, to his
ancestral estates, and is writing learned treatises on the
breeding of horses and cattle. Prjevalsky is an excellent
collector, but makes no pretensions to a scientific study of
ornithology ; and Severtzoff, though he has, as we all know,
done good work, has followed too closely the steps of the
elder Brehm to satisfy the requirements of modern scientific
ornithologists, who aim at hitting the happy medium between
“Jumpers” and “splitters,” but are nevertheless ofttimes

sorely puzzled to know on which side of an incipient species
to draw the line.

[12]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 322

(Plate IX.)

The following notes on the birds of Siberia are of course
extremely fragmentary. It is very seldom that the first ex-
pedition to a strange land is successful. The pioneer can do
little more than discover the localities where future researches
may be successfully made. My great mistake was that I
wintered too far north. Had I waited the arrival of migra-
tory birds at Yen-e-saisk’, instead of on the Arctic circle, my
ornithological bag would have been increased fourfold in
value. My list is almost as remarkable for what it omits as for
what itincludes. There is no doubt that the Merlin is common
in the valley of the Yen-e-say’; anda little further south, most
likely they would have been found chasing the Snow-Buntings.
I was probably only just beyond the northern range of the
Siberian Jay. On my return journey my time was neces-
sarily very limited, and I was obliged to husband my ammu-
nition. It was also the most unfavourable time of the whole
year for making ornithological observations. During the
breeding-season many birds forsake the neighbourhood of
the villages and the cultivated land, and scatter themselves
through the forests; and whilst they are moulting in the
autumn, they seem to be fully aware that their powers of flight
are limited, and that consequently they are an easy prey to
their Raptorial enemies, and therefore they seem afraid to
trust themselves on the wing. For the most part they are
silent at this season, and skulk amongst the underwood, and:
it is only by chance that one can obtain a shot at them.

My plans were also considerably disarranged by the two
shipwrecks, which did not form a part of my original pro-
gramme ; nevertheless I trust that the observations I was able
to make may prove interesting to the student of ornithology.

Hawraevus ALBIcILLA (Linn.).
The Sea- Eagle was common on the banks of the Yen-e-say’,

[13]

323 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

becoming gradually rarer north of the Arctic circle. I had
a fine male brought me which had been caught in a fox-trap.

ARCHIBUTEO LaGorus (Gmel.).
I frequently saw the Rough-legged Buzzard on the wing
near our winter-quarters, but failed to secure a specimen.

Mitvus micrans (Bodd.). }

I did not notice the Black Kite on the Yen-e-say’ until we
reached lat. 61° on the return journey. From this point it
increased in abundance as we proceeded south and west, until
in Tomsk it swarmed to as great an extent as it does in Con-
stantinople. I did not shoot one of these birds.

Fatco PEREGRINUS, Tunstall.

The Peregrine Falcon was first seen on the Koo-ray’-i-ka
about the middle of May; and on the 25th of that month I
secured a fine male. I once saw one of these birds dash into
a flock of Snow-Buntings and bear one off in its talons. On
the tundra they were breeding on the steep mud-cliffs on
the banks of the Yen-e-say’. In lat. 694° I spent the night
of the 13th-14th July on shore, shooting. I had no sooner
landed than a couple of Peregrines showed me their nest by
their loud cries. A glance at the cliffs decided the place
where the nest ought to be—on the top of a steep mud pro-
montory, which stretched out to a sharp ridge beyond and above
the surrounding coast. I climbed up a valley in which the
snow was still lying, and walked straight along the ridge to
the little hollow where the four red eggs were placed upon a
dozen small flakes of down. The eggs were considerably
incubated.

Fatco TINNUNCULUS, Linn.

I did not observe the Kestrel until I reached Yen-e-saisk’
on my return journey, about the middle of August. The
banks of the river to the south of the town are very flat; and
a wide extent of meadow-land, which had recently been cut
for hay, stretches southward for miles. This plain is sur-
rounded by forests and intersected with numerous half-dried-
up river-beds running parallel to the Yen-e-say’. In this

[14]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 324

locality I found the Kestrel very abundant, and I frequently
saw as many as a score on the wing together. It was also
very common on the road-side as we drove through Kras-no-
yarsk’ to Tomsk, frequently alighting on the telegraph-posts.

AcciPiteR Nisus (Linn.).

The Sparrow- Hawk was one of the numerous enemies which
the Snow-Buntings had to guard against as long as they
stayed at our winter-quarters. I shot a male on the Ist of
June, but had frequently seen this bird earlier.

Circus cyaneEus (Linn.).

I saw the first Hen-Harrier on the 24th May, and one or
more were almost daily seen as long as we remained at the
Koo-ray-i-ka. I shot two old males, one young male, and

one female.

SYRNIUM URALENSE (Pall.). =

We frequently saw a large Owl, which I have little doubt
was of this species, sailing over the ship in the evenings whilst
she was frozen up in winter-quarters ; but it took care never
to come within range of our guns.

ASIo ACCIPITRINUS (Pall.).
I twice saw the Short-eared Owl, once in lat. 664°, and the
other time in lat. 67°, but failed to secure a specimen.

Nycrea scanpraca (Linn.).

I did not see the Snowy Owl on the wing, but had a very
white specimen sent me in the flesh, which had been caught ”
in a fox-trap. In lat. 704° the natives told me that this bird
and the Willow-Grouse were the only species which wintered
on the tundra.

PopocEs HENDERSONI, Hume.

This remarkable bird has not yet been recorded from poli-
tical Siberia, but occurs almost on the frontiers, in the Eastern
Palearctic region. When I was passing through Omsk, Pro-
fessor Slofftzoff presented me with askin of this bird, which had
been shot by a shepherd on the Chor’-na Ear’-tish, or Black
Irtish, a river which flows through Lake Saisan and joins the
Ear’-tish near Semipalatinsk. The shepherd deseribed it as

[15]

3825 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

very wild and difficult to approach, and said that he had
chased it for a couple of days before he succeeded in se-
curing it.

This specimen differs from Hume’s description in having
no spots onthe head. Only a few of the feathers on the nape
have slight indications of spots, almost like gold dust, at the
tips. The plate of this bird in ‘ Lahore to Yarkand’ (p. 244)
is by no means a good one. The bar on the wing in my
copy is coloured very pale blue, instead of pure white; and
the conspicuous white feathers on the carpal joint are entirely
concealed by the feathers of the breast.

Picomes TRIDAcTYLUS (Linn.).

Picus tridactylus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. p. 177 (1766).

Apternus crissoleucus, Bonap. Consp. Vol. Zyg. p.9 (1854),
ex Brandt, MS. in Mus. Petrop.

On my arrival at the wintering-place of the ‘Thames’ on
the Arctic circle, I found the Three-toed Woodpecker common
in the pine-forests on both banks of the Koo-ray’-i-ka, and was
assured by the sailors that it had frequently been seen there
throughout the winter. I brought home seven skins of this
bird, six of which are representative examples of the form P.
crissoleucus (Bp.), in which the underparts are much whiter
than usual, the feathers on the belly and under tail-coverts
being very slightly barred with black, and the outside tail-fea-
thers also displaying more white than in the common form.
The seventh skin agrees exactly with skins of the usual
colour in my collection from the Petchora, Archangel, and
Norway. It seems doubtful whether P. crissolewcus be an
Eastern form of P. tridactylus, or merely a very old bird
of the latter species. I may remark that in my series of
skins the yellow on the head of the male is more developed in
the paler-coloured birds than in those more profusely barred,
favouring the idea that the difference is one of age.

Sirra EuRop#A, Linn.

Birds are very rare in the Siberian forests in winter. I
have often silently threaded my way between the pines on
snow-shoes for hours without hearing a note or seeing a fea-
ther. Then, perhaps, I should suddenly find myself in the

[16]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 326

midst of a small party of Lapp-Tits. What few birds there
are in these vast solitudes are very sociable. I generally
found the Lapp-Tits accompanied by a pair of Pine-Grosbeaks,
and occasionally by a pair of Nuthatches. The Nuthatch of
the Yen-e-say’ cannot be separated specifically from the com-
mon European form. It is undoubtedly a whiter form. The
forehead is whiter, and the flanks are much less rufous. These
paler forms are characteristic of Siberia, and have given rise
to many new synonyms. Thus the Siberian form of Picus
tridactylus has been called P. crissoleucus by Brandt, that of
Parus cinctus P. grisescens by Dresser ; and the pale form of
Sitta europea is the S. uralensis of Lichtenstein, the S.
asiatica of Gould, aud the S. roseilia of Bonaparte.

Dresser, in his ‘ Birds of Europe,’ describes the legs of S.
europea as “plumbeous grey,” in contradistinction to those
of S. cesia, which he describes as “ pale dull brown.” This
does not at all agree with my observations in Siberia. The
following note was written on the spot, with several fresh-
killed birds of each of the two species referred to before me :—
“The Nuthatch and the Titmouse which are found here are
remarkably alike in their general distribution of colour, but
differ considerably in the bill and feet. The feet of the Lapp-
Titt are lead-colour, almost black. The bill of the Nuthatch
is dark lead-colour above, and pale lead-colour below, almost
the colour of the back.”’ The feet, on the other hand, seem
to have been painted with the same colouring matter as the
under tail-coverts, and are pale chestnut-brown, with the soles
a dirty yellow.

Cucutus canorvs, Linn.

I first heard the Cuckoo on the 5th June, and shot a male
a few days later. I did not myself hear this bird further
north than 67°, but was assured that it was not unfrequent
at Doodin’-ka, in lat. 69°, nearly at the limit of forest-growth.

CucuULUs HIMALAYANUs, Vigors,

On the 15th of June a second species of Cuckoo presented
himself, with an entirely different voice to our bird, a gut-
tural and hollow-sounding hoo, not unlike the cry of the
Hoopoe. This cry can be heard at a great distance, and is

[17]

327. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

generally repeated two or three times in succession. The
bird was very wild, and I only succeeded in shooting two of
them, both females—one an old bird in grey plumage, the
other in the red plumage of the first year. This Cuckoo is
almost an exact miniature of our bird, though the bill is
slightly larger than that of the common European Cuckoo,
and the barring on the underparts somewhat more distinct.
If it had not been for the difference in voice, I should have
scarcely supposed it to be more than a small race of our bird.
The wings measure 7°6 in.

Cucu.us striatus, Drapiez.

*“Cuculus striatus, Drapiez,” Jerdon, B. Ind. 1. p. 328.

““Cuculus optatus, Gould,” Radde, Amurl. 11. p. 135.

In Dresser’s exhaustive article on the Common Cuckoo in
the ‘ Birds of Europe,’ of which he has kindly lent me the
proof sheets, he refers to the nearly allied species. Two of
these come into my Siberian region, Cuculus optatus, Gould
apud Radde,and Cuculus sparverioides, Vigors apud Schrenck.
Dresser identifies C. optatus with C. himalayanus. . In this I
cannot agree with him. After comparing Jerdon’s excellent
description of the note of the Himalayan species with Radde’s
minute account of the note of the Amoor bird, I think we
may positively state that C. optatus, Gould apud Radde, is
not C. himalayanus, Vigors apud Jerdon. The dimensions
given by Radde are much too large for those of C. himalay-
anus, and agree best with those of C. striatus. After exam-
ining the cuckoos in the British Museum, Ido not feel much
doubt that Radde’s bird was a specimen of C. striatus.

CucuLus HYPERYTHRUS, Gould.

Von Schrenck gives an excellent figure of what he thinks,
somewhat doubtfully, to be an immature male of Cuculus
sparverioides, Vigors. I have two skins lately brought from
Japan by Mr. Heywood Jones, which agree exactly with
Schrenck’s plate. They appear to me to be much too small
for C. sparverioides; and I am inclined to identify both the
Amoor and the Japan birds with the Cuculus hyperythrus of
Gould, described by him in the P. Z.8. of 1856, p. 96, and
figured in the ‘ Birds of Asia’ (pt. 8).

[18]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 328

Corvus corax, Linn.

We occasionally noticed Ravens during almost the whole
of our long sledge-journey ; but at the Koo-ray’-i-ka they did
not appear until the middle of May. After their arrival a
day seldom passed without one or more being seen. They
seemed to me to be less shy than Ravens usually are, and I
had no difficulty in shooting half a dozen to skin. I was
told, upon good authority, that in summer they are found as
far north as the Russian fishermen go, about lat. 72°. I
brought home eight skins of this bird with me. They varied
in length of wing, from carpal join$, from 16:2 to 17:2 inches.
The exposed portions of the bastard primary varied from 6 to 7
inches, and the distance from the end of the first primary to
the end of the second primary from 3°3 to 4 inches, the
bastard primary exceeding in length the end of the inner-
most secondaries.

Corvus cornix, Linn.

During the whole of our long sledge-journey from Nishni
Novgorod as far as Tomsk the Hooded Crow abounded on the
road-sides ; and in returning during the autumn I found it
equally common on the banks of the various rivers which the
steamer navigates between Tomsk and Tobolsk, and between
the latter town and Tyu-main’. Indeed, so far as my obser-
_ vation goes, the whole of Russia and West Siberia may be
described as a vast colony of Hooded Crows. East Siberia,
on the other hand, is an equally vast colony of Carrion-Crows.
From Kras-no-yarsk’ to Yen-e-saisk’ I saw nothing but the
Carrion-Crow. Middendorff records the same on the Lay’-na,
and eastwards to the sea of Okotsk ; and southwards Prije-
valsky (pronounced Psheval’sky) found it common in Mon-
golia. The distance between Tomsk and Kras-no-yarsk’ is
about 550 versts. As you travel eastwards from Tomsk for
the first 200 versts the Hooded Crow only is to be seen.
During the last 200 versts before reaching Kras-no-yarsk’ the
Carrion-Crow alone is found. In the intermediate 150 versts
about one fourth of the Crows are thoroughbred Hoodies,
one fourth are pure Carrion, and the remaining half are

[19]

325 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

hybrids of every stage; mulattoes, quadroons, octoroons, and
so on ad infinitum. The line of demarcation between the
two species may be roughly taken at the meridian of Calcutta,
extending north of Yen-e-saisk’ along the valley of the Yen-
e-say’, and south of that town along the watershed of the
Obb and the Yen-e-say’. That this state of things is not of
recent origin is proved by the fact that it is recorded by
Middendorff, who remarked the presence of hybrid Crows at
Yen-e-saisk’ as long ago as 1844. Hybrids between C. corone
and C. cornix occur occasionally in Scotland, on the Elbe, in
Turkestan, and probably wherever both species occur. The
fact that these hybrids present a series of every intermediate
form between the two species is primd facie evidence of their
fertility. I succeeded, however, in getting positive evidence of
this fact. On the11th May, whilst the ground was still covered
with six feet of snow, I found a pair of hybrid Crows in pos-
session of a nest near the top of a pine tree. The nest con-
tained one egg. On the 21st I climbed up to the nest again,
and found it to contain five eggs. Two of these I took. On
the 81st one egg was hatched, and the other two were chipped
ready for hatching. On the 26th June I again climbed up
to the nest, and found that one of the young birds had either
died or flown. I took the other two and shot the female.
She proved to be at least three parts Carrion-Crow. The
feathers on the sides of the neck, and on the lower part of
the breast and belly, are grey, with dark centres. I was
unable to shoot the male; but I had on various occasions
examined him through my binocular. He had more Hoodie
blood in him than the female, having a very grey ring round
the neck, and showing a good deal of grey on the breast and
under the wings.

My total bag of Crows at the Ku-ray’-i-ka was three
thoroughbred Hoodies (two males and a female) , ten thorough-
bred Carrions (nine males and one female), and fifteen hy-
brids (seven males and eight females). These figures, as far
as they go, lead me to the conclusion that the female Carrion-
Crows were all breeding, away in the woods, so that I rarely
got a shot at one, whereas the female hybrids were most of

[20]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 330

them barren, so that I was able to shoot as many of one sex
as of the other. The following descriptions of these hand-
some birds may be worth recording :—

No. 161. The thoroughbred Hooded Crow of the Yen-
e-say’ has the wings, tail, head, throat (extending as far as
the upper part of the breast), and thighs black. The rest
of the body is ashy grey, slightly darker on the under tail-
coverts. The upper tail-coverts begin grey, gradually become
darker in the centre until they are only edged with grey,
and finally become black as they join the tail. The axillaries
are grey. The grey is much lighter than in Western-EKuropean
birds, being almost as light as in Corvus capellanus of Sclater,
from Persia. The latter bird, however, has a longer bill.

No. 181 can only be called a Hooded Crow. The grey is
a shade darker than in the preceding, and the shafts of the
grey feathers on the back are very dark.

No. 162 has traces of black on the centres of the feathers
across the back, but perhaps not more than one might expect
to find in an accidental variety.

No. 128. The grey on the back is very similar to the pre-
ceding; but the upper and under tail-coverts are so much
darker than usual that I have no hesitation in saying that
this bird is not thoroughbred.

No. 164 has still more Carrion-Crow blood in its veins.
All the feathers of the back are black, with grey edges. The
axillaries and upper and under tail-coverts are nearly black.
“The breast and belly are much darker than usual.

No. 166 I take to be about half-bred. It differs from the
latter bird in having more or less grey edgings to the fea-
thers on the back between the shoulders, in having the fea-
thers of the breast and belly broadly edged with grey, and
in having more or less grey on the axillaries and under tail-
coverts.

No. 141 is very similar to the preceding ; but the grey edges
to the feathers are less distinct.

Nos. 12, 143, 144, 146, 163, 165, 167, and 168 are evi-
dently the commonest form (possibly octoroons). They are
black, with a band of grey feathers (many of them with black

[21]

331 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

centres) extending round the neck, below the black head,
across the shoulders, above the wings, and crossing the breast
below the black throat.

Nos. 139 and 140 are nearly thoroughbred Carrion-Crows :
but they show a little grey on each side of the neck, between
the head and shoulders.

These hybrids average 13-2 inches in length of wing from
carpal joint, varying from 12:3 to 13°8. ‘The exposed por-
tion of the first primary varies in length from 4°2 to 4°8
inches ; and the distance from the end of the first primary to
the end of the second primary averages 3°3, varying from
3'1 to 3°6.

My Yen-e-say’ Carrion-Crows average 13°3 in length of
wing from the carpal joint, varying from 12-7 to 14 inches.
The exposed portion of the first primary varies in length from
4:3 t05°2; and the distance from the end of the first primary
to the end of the second primary averages 3°4, varying from
3 to 39.

Corvus corong, Linn.

I was disappointed not to find any bird which I could iden-
tify with any of the eastern forms of this species, such as C.
orientalis or C. japonensis. Both C. corone and C. cornix
appear to winter south of lat. 60°. When we arrived at the
Arctic circle we were surprised to find a pair of black Crows
frequenting the banks of the Koo-ray’-i-ka. The sailors
called them Ravens, and assured me that they had wintered
near the ship. I succeeded in shooting the male; but, with
the exception that he is slightly larger than any other Car-
rion-Crow which I shot, I cannot find any point of difference.
He measures 14 inches in length of wmg. ‘The exposed por-
tion of the bastard primary is 4°5; and the distance from the
end of the first primary to the end of the second primary is
3-9. The end of the bastard primary falls considerably short
of the end of the innermost secondaries.

After leaving the Arctic circle both this and the preceding
species rapidly became rarer. We saw the last Hooded Crow
in lat. 69°, and the last Carrion-Crow in 694°, about the limit
of forest-growth.

[22]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 332

Corvus FRUGILEGUS, Linn.

As we sledged over the snow in March and April from
Nishni Novgorod to Yen-e-saisk’, we never by any chance saw
a Rook amongst the Magpies, Ravens, Crows, or Jackdaws
on the road-side. Nor did I meet with this bird within the
Arctic circle ; but I was informed, upon very good authority,
that a pair had once been seen two stations south of Vare-
shin’-sky, about lat. 684°. On the return journey I kept a
sharp look-out for the Rook, but did not see it until we were

threading the labyrinth of the Toor’-a, a little to the east of
Tyu-main’. Here large flocks of Rooks were feeding on the
banks of the river.

Corvus MONEDULA, Linn.

Jackdaws were common on the road-sides and in the villages
through which we sledged as far as Tomsk, but became
gradually rarer as we neared Kras-no-yarsk’, and disappeared
altogether at Yen-e-saisk’. Mr. Boiling told me that a stray
bird of this species was occasionally seen at the latter town,
but that be had not seen any further north.

Nucrrraca caryocatactes (Linn.),

As we sledged down the Yen-e-say’ in April we first saw
the Nutcracker in lat. 64°; and from that time we rarely
missed seeing these birds at the different stations where we
stopped to change horses. When we reached the ‘ Thames’
we found this bird quite common and remarkably tame. At
one time I counted as many as eight in one tree together.
They are wonderfully sociable birds. Whilst the sailors were
working at the ship, cutting away the ice all round her, there
were frequently two or three Nutcrackers in different parts
of the rigging, apparently watching the operation with great
interest. They seem to be well aware of the fact that offal
and scraps of food of all kinds are always to be found in winter
near the habitations of man. Their tameness was quite
absurd. Sometimes the Ost-yak children shot one with a bow
and arrow; and occasionally one was caught by the dogs. On
the bushes round the house they allowed us to approach within
four o1 five feet of them, and when disturbed moved to the

[23]

333 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

nearest tree with a peculiar slow undulating flight. I care-
fully preserved them, and fed them with the bodies of the
birds I skinned, as I was anxious to secure a good series of
their eggs. They treated me, however, in a most ungrateful
manner. They continued to be abundant until about the
7th of June, when the snow was pretty well melted from the
ground. They then vanished altogether, and, with the ex-
ception of a couple of birds I picked up later, in full moult,
I saw no more of them until they reappeared in flocks at
various stations on the return journey. I offered considerable
sums for anest containing eggs ; but both the Russian peasants
and the natives informed me that they had never heard of
any one who had seen the nest of a “ Ve-roff’-ky,” as they
call this bird. They doubtless retire into the recesses of the
forest to breed.

Pica Rustica, Scop.

Magpies were very common as far as Yen-e-saisk’, but dis-
appeared further north, at about lat. 60°. I did not see any
during the summer within the Arctic cirele; but Mr. Ulemann,
an exile from West Poland, and a very intelligent observer
of birds, assured me that he saw a pair every year at Vare-
shin’-sky, in lat. 69°, and had occasionally seen one as far
north as Doo-dink’-a, in lat. 694°.

Sturnvus vuutearis, Linn.

I did not observe the Starling until we had almost reached
Yen-e-saisk’ on the return journey. At that town it was
extremely abundant, for tle most part in large flocks.

Lanrus magor, Pall.

This Shrike was very common on the roadsides as we drove
from Yen-e-saisk’ to Tomsk. It was very fond of perching
on the telegraph-wires. It differs from L. excubitor in only
showing one white bar across the wings. The white bases to
the primaries, from the second to the ninth inclusive, extend
for about half an inch beyond the wing-coverts; whilst in
the secondaries the white bases are entirely concealed by the
wing-coverts, or are absent altogether. Russow, at the St.
Petersburg Museum, told me that this is the common eastern

[24]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 884

form, that L. excubitor breeds near St. Petersburg, whilst
L. major only passes through on emigration. It winters in -
Asia Minor. It does not appear to be a very clearly differ-
entiated species. I have a skin from Asia Minor with the
basal half of the eleventh quill white, whilst the tenth, twelfth,
and succeeding quills scarcely show a trace of white at the
base; and, curiously enough, this is the same in both wings.
Birds like these may be intermediate forms ; or, after my ex-
perience of the Crow, I should not be surprised to find that
on the boundary line of their geographical distribution they
occasionally, if not habitually, intermarry.

Passer DomeEsticus (Linn.).

The common Sparrow abounded in all the towns and vil-
lages through which we sledged as far as Yen-e-saisk’, and

disappeared about lat. 60°. On the 16th of June a solitary
pair appeared at the Koo-ray’-i-ka, the only occasion on
which I met with this bird within the Arctic circle.

PasseR MoNTANUS (Linn.).

Tne only place between Nishni Novgorod and Yen-e-
saisk’ where I observed the Tree-Sparrow was at a little village
about forty miles west of Kasan. In Yen-e-saisk’ it was as
abundant as the common Sparrow; but I did not meet with
it further north.

PyrrHvuLA MAJOR, Brehm.

The very handsome large variety of the Bullfinch with the
brick-red breast was very abundant wherever the road passed
through forests as far as Yen-e-saisk’; but I did not meet with
it afterwards, either in the Arctic circle, or on the return
journey.

CaRPODACUS ERYTHRINUS (Pall.).

The Scarlet Bullfinch arrived on the Arctic circle on the
6th of June, and was soon afterwards very abundant. I did
not observe it further north than lat. 68°. Its cheerful little
song was constantly heard. It did not require a great stretch
of imagination to fancy it said “ pleased to see’ you.” I only
shot one male without the scarlet on the breast. Baron
Maydell got this bird in the T'schuski Land.

[25]

335 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

CoryTHUs ENUCLEATOR (Linn.).

We found the Pine-Grosbeak common in the forests on
the Arctic circle in small parties on our arrival. When sum-
mer came they dispersed in the woods, and were very rarely
seen. I did not observe them further north.

FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA, Linn.
The Brambling arrived at our winter-quarters on the Ist
of June. I did not observe it further north than 69°.

Livorta tinaria (Linn.).

Linota ExiLrpes (Coues).

At Yen-e-saisk’ we found large flocks of Redpoles in the
first week in April; but they did not put in an appearance at
the Koo-ray’-i-ka until the 28th of May. I obtained both
these supposed species, and every possible intermediate form.

The young in first plumage (No. 943, shot in the valley of
the Yen-e-say’, in lat. 69°, on the 29th July) differs from
the adult birds in having the edgings of the feathers of the
plumage generally, but especially of the wing-coverts and
innermost secondaries, greyish buff, instead of pure white.
The feathers on the breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts
have a dark streak in the centre.

My series of these birds comprises forty carefully selected
skins, from Norway, the Petchora, and the Yen-e-say’.
Twenty-two of these are males, and eighteen are females.
Two skins, one of a male and the other of a female, both shot
in April, show considerable remains of the buff colour on the
head, back, wing-coverts, and inner secondaries, characteristic
of the bird of the year. Other skins show traces of this buff
colour on the head and back only.

These birds fly in such large flocks that one often gets a
dozen or more at a shot. In selecting birds to skin I inva-
riably chose all the birds showing red on the breast, rejecting
a large proportion of those without red breasts ; nevertheless
only half the males in my collection show any red on the
breast. So far as it goes, this fact supports the theory of
Mr. Hancock, that the red breast is a sign of immaturity.
My red-breasted birds vary considerably inter se. Four of

[26]

Mr. H. Seebohm en the Ornithology of Siberia. 336

them have only a tint of rose-colour on the breast and rump.
Three of these were shot in April, and one in June. They
may be taken as types of the supposed species L. exalipes.
All the feathers, but especially these on the rump, the wing-
coverts, the inner secondaries, and the inner web of the out-
side tail-feathers, are broadly margined with white. There
are scarcely any dark centres to the feathers on the rump, and
none on the under tail-coverts ; and the underparts are speci-
ally white. Two males, without the red breast, have the same
characters, but are more abraded in plumage, and show less
of the white margin to the feathers. A skin dated 12th July
has the feathers so abraded that the white rump, and the
white margins to the feathers generally, have almost disap-
peared ; but the under tail-coverts are pure white. A skin
dated 13th of June, from Norway, may be taken as full sum-
mer plumage of this form. The white margins to the tail-
feathers are very conspicuous; but the red on the breast is
more developed, and the mealy appearance of the bird has
suffered from the abrasion of the feathers. Two females may
possibly belong to this form, one of them having unstreaked
under tail-coverts, and the other an unstreaked rump; but
neither of them shows the broad margins to the tail-feathers.
Another skin, dated the 7th of April, has the unstreaked
rump, but streaked under tail-coverts. The breast is very
carmine for the alledged species L. exilipes ; and this skin also
wants the broad white margins to the tail-feathers ; but, as
it shows a good deal of the immature buff-colour on the upper
parts, it may be a bird which has retained other marks of
immaturity.

Four skins with richly carmine breasts, and traces of car-
mine on the rump, all shot in June, are representative ex-
amples of L. linaria in breeding-plumage. They have all
streaked rumps and under tail-coverts ; but one of them has
broad white edgings to the imner webs of the tail-feathers.
In two other skins, one shot on the 28th of July and the
other on the 2nd of August, the plumage is very abraded,
and the carmine on the breast nearly lost. The remaining
skins have no carmine on the breast. In all of these the

[27]

337. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

white edgings to the tail-feathers are narrow. They have
all striped under tail-coverts ; and all but two have streaked
rumps.

I am inclined to think that L. evilipes is the same species
as L. linaria. I do not see that it is even a good variety.
So far as I can make out, the differences are only those of
age, sex, and season. If they must be separated, I think the
cclour of the under tail-coverts is a better character to go
upon than that of the rump. \Five birds, all males, have larger
bills than the rest. Four of these have streaked rumps and
under tail-coverts, the fifth is the slightly immature bird pre-
viously mentioned as having been shot on the 7th of April.

I found these birds common as_far north as I went, 2. e.
lat. 714°.

EMBERIZA PUSILLA, Pall.

The arrival of birds in the Arctic regions is dependent, to
a large extent, upon the arrival of summer, which comes
suddenly with the breaking up of the ice on the river, and
the general melting of the snow. Last year, summer was
unusually late in Northern Asia. On the Arctic circle, in the
valley of the Yen-e-say’, the ice on the river began to break
up on the Ist of June, and migratory birds arrived in great
numbers. On the 7th the Little Bunting arrived, in com-
pany with the Golden Plover and the Dark Thrush, nearly
in the middle of the spring migration.

Before the snow, which was lying upon the ground to the
depth of five or six feet up to the 1st of June, had sufficiently
melted to make the forests penétrable, the-Little Bunting was
extremely abundant, and its unobtrusive song was constantly
heard. On the 23rd of June I found the first nest. I was
on the south bank of the Koo-ray’-i-ka, and was scrambling
through the forest down the hill towards my boat, amongst
tangled underwood and fallen tree-trunks, rotten and moss-
grown, when a Little Bunting started up out of the grass at
my feet. It did not fly away, but flitted from branch to
branch within six feet of me. I knew at once that it must
have a nest; and in a quarter of a minute I found it, half

[28]
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a)

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 338

hidden in the grass and moss. It contained five eggs. The
bird was still close to me; and I was obliged to leave the nest
in order to get far enough from the bird, so as to avoid
blowing it to pieces. It seemed a shame to shoot the poor
little thing; but as the five eggs in the nest were the only
authentic eggs of this species known to exist, it was abso-
lutely necessary for their complete identification. The nest |
was nothing but a hole made in the dead leaves, moss, and
grass, copiously and carefully lined with fine dead grass.
The eggs were very handsome, almost exact miniatures of
the eggs of the Corn-Bunting. The ground-colour is pale
grey, with bold twisted blotches and irregular round spots
of very dark grey, and equally large underlying shell-markings
of paler grey. They measure 2} x 23 of an inch.

I took the second nest in the forest on the opposite bank
of the Koo-ray’-i-ka on the 29th of June, contaming three
eggs. These egg are somewhat less, measuring #§ x 24 of an
inch. The colour is redder, being brown rather than grey,
but the markings ere similar. The nest was in a similar
position, and the behaviour of the bird precisely the same.
The third nest I took in lat. 67°, on the 30th of June. The
eges, five in number, were slightly incubated. The markings
are similar to those of the eggs in the two preceding nests ;
but the ground-colour is browner, being less olive than in the
_ first nest, and less red than in the second. The nest was’
lined with reindeer-hair. The fourth nest contained six eggs,
and was taken a few miles to the north of the preceding, on
the 6th of July. The eggs are intermediate in colour between
those of the two nests last described. The character of the
nest was similar to the last, but more sparingly lined with
reindeer-hair. The tameness of the bird was the same in
every instance.

The Little Bunting was common in the forest from the
Arctic circle northwards, and afterwards on the tundra up to
lat. 71°; but I did not observe it at Gol-cheek’-a, in lat. 714°,
nor upon the Brek’-off-sky islands. There are skins of this
bird in the St.-Petersburg Museum, collected by Baron May-
dell in the Tschuski Land.

[29]

339 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

EmBERIZA SCH@NIcLUS, Linn.

The Reed-Bunting arrived on the Arctic circle on the 13th
of June, and soon became very common. As we proceeded
north we lost sight of this bird before we had quite reached
the limit of forest-growth; but I got.a sitting of its eggs im
lat. 703°.

EmsBeriza PoLaris, Midd.

On the 9th of June, four days before the arrival of the
Reed-Bunting, a smaller and darker-coloured Bunting ap-
peared. It was very shy and skulking in its habits, and I
only secured ‘one specimen. I afterwards added a second to
my collection. It appeared to be a comparatively rare and
local bird. I did not find it anywhere except on the banks
of the Koo-ray’-i-ka. I looked for it in vain on the other
bank of the Yen-e-say’, opposite the mouth of the Koo-ray’-
i-ka, a locality where the Reed-Bunting was extremely abun-
dant. The following measurements of a male, compared with
a male of the common bird from the same locality, show that
it is considerably smaller than the European Reed-Bunting,
with a proportionately slightly longer tail. The figures are
inches and decimals. .

E. schenielus. E. polaris.

Wing from carpal jomt . . 3°25 2°83
3 a ec eee cM ae be ctte me: 2°7 2D

Colmen (65. ered ue be "43 “4

AIANTES Y sag. 0) = fogteyh s28 Yas Seater ‘75 "65

The distribution of colour in the two species is exactly the
same, except that the margins of the feathers on the back, |
wing-coverts, and inner secondaries vary from rich chest-
nut to pale brown in the larger species, and from blue-grey
to white in the smaller species. This is specially conspicuous
on the wing-coverts near the carpal joint. On the smaller
bird there is a trace of chestnut in the middle of the back
and on the inner secondaries.

So far as I know, the male of this bird has never been de-
scribed before; but I think there can scarcely be a doubt that it
is the male of the bird described by Middendorff as Eméeriza

[30] Tea ae

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 340

polaris in his ‘Sibirische Reise,’ uu. p. 146. This bird was
described from a female, obtained by Middendorff about three
hundred miles to the north-east of the locality where I pro-
cured my bird. He represents it as differing from the female
of E. scheniclus in almost precisely the same characters which
I have pointed out above as distinguishing the two males.

.

EEMBERIZA AUREOLA, Pall.

I shot this very handsome and conspicuous bird for the
first time on the Arctic circle on the 9th of June, but only
occasionally saw it afterwards. This must be nearly its
northern limit. On the return journey I shot it again at
-Yen-e-saisk’, in lat. 58°, in the middle of August, with scarcely
fledged young. There are skins of this bird in the St.-Peters-
burg Museum, collected by Baron Maydell in the Tschuski
Land.

EMBERIZA LEUCOCEPHALA, Gmel.
I shot one solitary bird of the Pine-Bunting on the Arctic
circle on the 13th of June, but did not meet with it again.

EMBERIZA RUSTICA, Pall.
I did not meet with this bird until I reached lat. 62°, on
my return journey.

PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS (Linn.).

In crossing the great steppes of South-western Siberia,
between Tyu-main’ and Tomsk, we frequently came upon
small flocks of Snow-Buntings. These birds seem to have no
settled winter home; but during the cold weather they appa-
rently live a roving gipsy life, wandering about in flocks,
perpetually migrating northwards as fast as the frost and
snow will let them, but continually forced to beat a retreat
with every return of wintry weather. As we passed through
Yen-e-saisk’ early in April, we were told that the Snow-
Buntings had arrived just before us. When we reached the
winter-quarters of the ‘Thames,’ on the 23rd of April, the
sailors informed us that the Snow-Buntings had preceded us
by afew days. Small flocks were constantly seen until the 7th
of June. We saw no more of them until we reached Gol-
cheek’-a, where we were in their breeding-grounds.

[31]

341 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

PLECTROPHANES LAPPonicus (Linn.).

The Lapland Bunting did not arrive at the winter-quarters
of the ‘Thames’ until the 4th of June. It was breeding in
great numbers on the tundra as far north as we went, 7. e.
lat. 714°.

ALAUDA ARVENSIS, Linn.
The only Skylark I saw was one which I shot at our winter-
quarters on the 11th of June.

Ovrocorys aLpestris (Linn.).

The Shore-Lark was common on the Arctic circle from the
2nd to the 11th of June. After we had passed the limit of
forest-growth, and had reached the tundra, it was again com-
mon as far north as we went.

ANTHUS GustTavi, Swinhoe.

Anthus gustavi, Swinhoe, P. Z. 8S. 1863, pp. 90, 273.

Anthus batchianensis, G. R. Gray, Hand-l. of Birds, 1.
p- 251. no. 3642 (1869).

Anthus seebohmi, Dresser, Birds of Eur. pt. xlv. (1875).

It is seldom that the history of an obscure bird is so sud-
denly and completely worked out as has been the case with
this species during the last two years. The Siberian Pipit
was first described by Swinhoe in 1863 (loc. cit.), from spe-
cimens obtained at Amoy, in South China, on migration. In
1871 (P.Z.S. p. 366) he announced its identity with Anthus
batchianensis, based by G. R. Gray on skins collected by
Wallace in Batchian. In 1874 (Ibis, p. 442) he announced
the capture of no less than fourteen of these birds at Chefoo,
during the spring migration, and mentions having seen one
skin sent from Lake Baikal by Dr. Dybowsky. In 1875
Harvie Brown and I found it breeding in the valley of the
Petchora, about lat. 674° (Ibis, 1876, p. 120). Our skins
were submitted to Dresser, who, believing the species to be
undescribed, included it as a new species in the ‘ Birds of
Europe’ as Anthus seebohmi. In 1876 Finsch and Brehm
procured a specimen in the valley of the Obb, a little to the
north of the Arctic circle (Ibis, 1877, p. 58). In the same
‘number of ‘ The Ibis’ I had the honour, I will not say the

[32]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 342

pleasure, of pointing out the fact that Anthus seebohmi of
Dresser was identical with Anthus gustavi of Swinhoe. Just
before leaving for Siberia I was, by the kindness of Dr. Brug-
gemann, put in possession of the facts that Anthus gustavi
had been procured in winter at Manilla (Briiggemann, Ab-
handl. Ver. Bremen, v. p. 67), Celebes (Briiggemann, Joc. cit. ;
Walden, Tr. Z. S. viii. p. 117), Borneo, and Negros (fide
skins in the British Museum).

During the arrival of migratory birds on the Arctic circle
in the valley of the Yen-e-say’, I naturally kept a sharp look-
out for this interesting species, and was delighted on the 23rd
of June to hear its peculiar and familiar song, and to shoot
a fine male. On the 15th of July, in lat. 703°, I met with
this bird breeding, and obtained a sitting of its eggs. On
the 26th of July, on my return journey, in about the same
latitude, I found it breeding in considerable numbers, and
secured eight specimens more.

In the Museum of St. Petersburg I had the pleasure of
identifying skins of this species collected by Baron Maydell
in the Tschuski Land, north of Kamtchatka, and on Beh-
ring Isle, to the east of that peninsula, collected by Woss-
nessensky ; so that it would appear that the geographical
distribution of this Pipit is almost the same as that of Phyl-
loscopus borealis.

ANTHUS CERVINUS, Pall.

The Red-throated Pipit was first seen on the banks of the
Koo-ray’-i-ka on the 6th of June. One of the birds which
I shot on that day was in winter plumage, with scarcely a
trace of vinous on the throat; and I entered it in my journal
as the sole example of Anthus pratensis which I met with in
the valley of the Yen-e-say’; but in St. Petersburg Russow
pointed out to me the difference between the plumage of
Anthus pratensis and the winter plumage of A. cervinus. In
the latter bird the central large under tail-covert has a dark
streak up the middle near the shaft. I have examined the

‘whole of my large series of these birds from Norway, Russia,
and Siberia, and winter skins of A. cervinus from Asia Minor ~

[33]

343 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

and China, and find that in every case where the large under
tail-covert has not been shot away this distinction holds good.
This bird breeds in considerable numbers on the tundra as
far north as we went. There is a great variation in the
colours of the eggs in the same nest, some being much darker
than others. There are skins of this bird in the Museum at
St. Petersburg, collected by Baron Maydell in the Tschuski
Land.

ANTHUS RICHARDI, Vieill.

Richard’s Pipit must breed in great numbers on the exten-
sive meadow-lands which stretch away for miles from Yen-e-
saisk’ on the banks of the river. I found it common there
in the middle of August, and shot both adult birds in full
moult and young in first plumage. This bird has a habit of
hovering over the ground almost exactly like a Kestrel.

ANTHUS TRIVIALIS (Linn.).
I did not meet with the Tree-Pipit until I reached lat. 62°
on my return journey.

Moracriya asa, Linn.

Motacilla alba, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. p. 331 (1766).

Motacilla dukhunensis, Sykes, P. Z. 8. 1832, p. 91.

Motacilla baicalensis, Swinhoe, P. Z. 8. 1871, p. 363.

I think there can be no doubt that MW. alba and M. dukhu-
nensis are the same species. The only difference seems
to be in the amount of white on the wing-coverts. MM. alba
has dark grey or black wing-coverts, more or less broadly
edged with white. In M. dukhunensis the inside half of
~each wing-covert is the same as in M. alba; but the
outside half is entirely white, making the wing-coverts, as
they lie on the wing overlapping each other, an entirely
white mass. This latter form seems to be confined to Siberia
and India; but as in both these countries a complete series
of intermediate forms occur also, we cannot consider the
eastern form more than a variety. The amount of white
on the wing-coverts of many of the species in this genus,
and in some of them the amount of white on the secondaries,
varies so much, that if we were to admit it as a specific cha-

[34]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 344

racter we should at once more than double the number of
supposed species.

In the valley of the Yen-e-say’ both varieties were equally
common. I only found the extreme white-winged form
among the males.

This Wagtail was the first thin-billed bird to arrive on the
Arctic circle in any numbers. The first break up of the ice
on the Ist of June was the signal of itsappearance. I found
it as far north as we went, 7. e. lat. 714°.

The geographical distribution of this bird is very curious.
As Middendorff did not find it, we may take the watershed
between the Yen-e-say’ and the Lay’-na as its eastern boundary,
whence it extends westwards as far as the Atlantic on the
continent of Europe, but only appears accidentally in the
British Isles. As you ascend the Yen-e-say’ from the Arctic
circle, this ‘bird abounds on the banks of the river until you
near Yen-e-saisk’ (about lat. 59°), when suddenly it disap-
pears, and its place is taken by MW. personata. From Yen-e-
saisk’ to Kras-no-yarsk’, and westwards until you cross the
meridian of Calcutta, M. personata abounds, after which,
across Siberia and Europe, you find no white Wagtail but
M. alba.

There appears, however, to be a colony of M. alba still
further to the east. Middendorff had a skin sent him from
Birjussa, about halfway between Yen-e-saisk’ and Lake Bai-
kal; and there is no doubt that it is a common bird in the
neighbourhood of that lake, as skins collected in that locality
by Dr. Dybowsky are not rare in collections. From this
colony these birds migrate in great numbers across Mongolia
and the extreme west of China, and doubtless find their way
thence to India.

Moraci.ia PERSoNATA, Gould.

This is a very well-marked species, differmg from M. alba
in having the black on the breast confluent with the black
on the neck. Well-marked examples show even more white
on the wing-coverts than in the most marked M. alba, var.
, dukhunensis, whilst others are similar in this respect to typical

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345 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

examples of the European form of M. alba—an additional
proof that this character cannot be deemed specific in the
Wagtails. I did not meet with this bird until my return
journey. The particulars of its geographical distribution in
Siberia, so far as I had an opportunity of observing it, are
given under the head of M. alba.

Moracitia ocuLaris, Swinhoe.

Motacilla ocularis, Swinhoe, P. Z. 8. 1863, p. 17.

Motacilla alba, Linn., var. lugens, Ill. Midd. Sib. Reise,
ii. p. 166 (1851, nec Ill. nec Temm.).

Motacilla baicalensis, var. temporalis, Swinhoe, P. Z. 8.
1871, p. 363.

In the Museum at St. Petersburg I had an opportunity of
examining several skins collected by Middendorff in North
and East Siberia labelled Motacilla lugens. They all proved
on examination to be Motacilla ocularis, a grey-backed pied
Wagtail, with a black patch on the hind crown extending to
the nape, and another on the throat and breast. It differs
from Motacilla alba in having a narrow black line extending
from the centre of the black patch on the head, and passing
through the eyes to the base of the bill. In the same museum
were skins of M. ocularis from the Amoor, collected by
Schrenck} from Mongolia, collected by Prjevalski, and from
the Tschuski Land, collected by Maydell. I did not meet
with this species on the Yen-e-say’; and probably the water-
shed between that river and the Lay’-na is its western
boundary.

MoraciILLa AMURENSIS, sp. nov. (Plate IX.)

Motacilla alba, var. lugens, v. Schrenck, Amur-Lande, 1.
p. 338.

In the present condition of ornithological literature, loaded
with synonyms, any one who adds a name to the almost ex-
haustless list is guilty of a crime; but where the species
proves to have been undescribed before, his fellow ornitho-
logists will admit that he has a right to plead “ extenuating
circumstances.” I am afraid I shall be unable to complete
my list of Siberian Wagtails without describing a skin in my

[36]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 346

collection, obtained through Schliter of Halle, dated 14th
April, 1876, from the Gulf of Abrek, in the Sea of Japan,
labelled Motacilla ocularis g. The head, neck, and back
are black, gradually fading into grey on the rump, which
becomes black again on the upper tail-coverts. The throat,
breast, and a line through the eye are also black. Forehead
and cheeks, and a line behind the eye and on the side of the
neck, white. Shoulders grey. Wing-coverts white. Inner
secondaries broadly edged with white on the outside web.
Primaries and secondaries broadly edged with white near the
base of the inner web.

This bird is undoubtedly the Motacilla alba, var. lugens, of
Schrenck, who describes it as common in the Amoor, and
considers it an intermediate form between M. japonica and
M. ocularis. There seems to be no alternative but either to
describe it as a new species, or to regard it as a hybrid be-
tween the two species just named. I have preferred the
former course as the least evil of the two. From M. ocularis
it may at once be distinguished by its black back, and from
M. japonica by its grey secondaries.

In Dressevr’s collection is a skin of this bird from Japan, a
male, collected by Whitely, 17th April, 1865; and I have a
skin collected by Wossnessensky on the 23rd of April, 1845,
upon ‘ Oorogan Island,” possibly either one of the Kurile
or one of the Aleutian Isles.

Moracizua aLBorpes, Hodgs.

Motacilla alboides, Hodgson, As. Res. xix. p. 191 (18386).

Motacilla leucopsis, Gould, P. Z. 8. 1837, p. 78.

Motacilla luzoniensis, auctt. nec Scop. |

Motacilla alba, var. paradoxa, Schrenck, Reis. u. Forsch. im
Amur-Lande, i. p. 341 (1860).

Motacilla feliz, Swinhoe, P. Z. 8. 1870, p. 121.

There are five species of white Wagtails found in India.
Two of these are resident species, M. maderaspatana, hereafter
alluded to, and M. hodgsoni, which may be described as a
black-backed M. personata. Of the remaining three we have
already disposed of the breeding-places of two, M. personata

[37]

347 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

and M. alba, or, as the Indian bird is generally called, M. duk-
hunensis. The remaining species, M. luzoniensis, inhabits the
eastern plains of Indiain winter. Swinhoe has clearly pointed
out (P. Z.8. 1870, p. 120) that this bird has no right to the
name luzoniensis. Scopoli founds his name upon “ La Ber-
geronette 4 collier de Vile de Lucon” of Sonnerat, in his
‘ Voyage & la Nouvelle Guinée,’ vol. i. p. 61, pl.29. Sonnerat
describes the colour of the back as “ gris de cendre,”’ and figures
a Wagtail with a grey back, very white wing-coverts, a white
forehead, cheeks, and throat, but with a gorget of black on
the breast confluent with the black on the neck and head.
It might represent a female of M. hodgsoni, or a male of M.
personata in winter plumage ; but inasmuch as no white Wag-
tail has been recorded since from this locality, I think we are
perfectly justified in cutting the Gordian knot by ignoring
the name altogether.

M. alboides is in summer a black-backed Wagtail with a
black breast. The forehead is white, and a white band sepa-
rates the black on the head and neck from the black on the
breast, as in M. alba; but besides the black back, it differs
from M. alba in never having the throat black. In winter
the back is more or less grey, but the shoulders remain
black.

I think there can be no doubt whatever that this bird is
the Motacilla alba, var. paradoxa of Schrenck, who figures it
‘and describes it as breeding in the Amoor-land.

Moracriiua LucEns, Temm. et Schl.

Motacilla lugens, Temm. et Schl. Fauna Japonica, Aves,
p. 60, pl. 25 (1850). .

Motacilla japonica, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1863, p. 309; P. Z.8.
1863, p. 275.

After having just stated that the amount of white on the
wing of a Wagtail cannot be considered a specific charac-
ter, it may appear somewhat paradoxical to assert that the
principal and most trustworthy character of this bird is the
great amount of white on the wing. In this species, however,
it is not only the wing-coverts, but the secondaries and some of

[38]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 348

the primaries which are more or less white. M. lugens may
always be recognized by some of the secondaries being white
across both webs, and frequently one or two of them are pure
white throughont. The amount of white on the primaries
varies very much. In summer this species comes very near
M. maderaspatana, having a black back, and the white on
the head being confined to the forehead and supercilium.
On the average MW. lugens is a smaller bird than M. maderas-
patana; but large skins of the former species measure more in
length of wing than small skins of the latter species. In M.
maderaspatana the black on the head comes down in a peak to
the base of the bill. MM. lugens has a pure white forehead,
the black on the head not approaching within half an inch of
the base of the bill. This appears, however, not to be a per-
fectly stable character, as I have a skin in my collection of
the last-named species from Hakodate, in which the black
of the forehead comes down in a peak to the base of the bill,
as though a not very remote ancestor of this individual had
migrated to India instead of China for the winter, and had
there intermarried with one of his cousins, as our friends the
Crows are in the habit of doing. In winter M. lugens comes
very near to M. ocularis. Both species have then grey backs,
black heads, a gorget of black on the throat, and a black line
passing from the base of the bill through the eye, and joining
the black at the back of the neck. M. ocularis is, however,
a grey-backed Wagtail, both summer and winter, and has a
grey shoulder; whereas M. lugens loses the black on the back
in winter, but retains it on the shoulder the whole year.
Independently of these minor differences, the amount of white
on the primaries and secondaries of M. lugens serves to distin-
guish it easily at all seasons of the year.

The geographical distribution of this species, so far as I
have been able to ascertain it, from the examination of well-
authenticated skins, appears to range from Kamtchatka to
Japan in summer, and in winter along the coast of China and
the opposite islands, Formosa, &e. I can find no evidence of
its having been found further west. The skins in Dresser’s
collection, collected by Severtzoff in Turkestan (Ibis, 1876,

[39]

349 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithologg of Siberia.

p- 177), are M. hodgsoni. Middendorff’s skins of M. lugens
in the St.-Petersburg Museum are MW. ocularis. In the same
museum there is, however, a fine series of skins of the true
M. lugens from Kamtchatka.

The synonymy of this bird, simple as it appears, is most
bewildering. We have the authority of Mr. Hume (‘Stray
Feathers,’ v. p. 434) for the assertion that, in the opinion of
Professor Alfred Newton, “ nomenclature bears the same re-
lation to real natural history that rat-hunting does to real
sport.” Be this as it may, I do not know any one fonder of
a “rat-hunt” of this kind than Professor Newton. In his
article on the Pied Wagtail, in his new edition of Yarrell’s
‘ British Birds,’ we have an excellent résumé of a day’s “ rat-
hunting.” The first rat he starts is Motacilla lugubris, Pallas,
and after running it through the fourth and third parts of
Temminck’s ‘Manual of Ornithology,’ he finally loses the
scent in the first part in 1820 (ed. 2, p. 253). The descrip-
tion here given being that of a bird which, in Professor
Newton’s opinion, is “ unquestionably identical” with the
British Pied Wagtail, that bird becomes M. lugubris, Pallas,
apud Temminck ; and since there is no evidence that Pallas
ever gave the name of WM. lugubris to any Wagtail, our British
bird becomes M. lugubris, Temminck. The next “rat” that
Professor Newton starts is MZ. lugens, lig. This, he tells us
in a footnote (loc. cit.), he chased as far back as 1850, where
he suddenly lost the scent in the ‘ Fauna Japonica.’ I must
confess that my attempts to run down this animal have been
still less successful. I started it in Oustalet’s ‘ Oiseaux de la

Chine’ (p. 3800), where I was at once tripped up»by two errors *

(“ F. Jap. Aves, 25,” should read “ F. Jap. Aves, p. 60, pl. 25 7;
and “ Swinh. (1860) 357,” should read “ Swinh. Ibis, 1860,
p. 857”). I picked up the scent again in the P. Z. 8. 1870,
p- 130, and stumbled on two more errors (“ P. Z. 8. 1863,
p. 17,” ought to be “ P. Z. S. 1863, p. 275,” and “ Ibis, 1863,
p- 85,” ought to be “Ibis, 1863, p. 309”). Recovering myself,
J pursued the trail through Schrenck’s ‘ Amur-Lande,’ 1860,
with only a slight mishap (the page in Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-,
Asiat. i. intended to be referred to is 507, not 307), and I
[40]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 350

lost the scent altogether in Middendorff’s ‘ Sibirische Reise,’
p. 166 (1851). Since Professor Newton has not been able
to kill this rat, as, I think, we may fairly infer from the foot-
note already referred to (Newton’s ‘ Yarrell,’ i. p. 541), I am
driven to the conclusion that “ dugens, Ill.,” and “ lugudris,
Pall.,’” quoted by Middendorff, are both myths. My next
attempt was to try and catch a M. lugens of Pallas, or of any
body else. JI had nearly as many stumbles in this as-in the
previous runs. In the ‘ Fauna Japonica’ Schlegel gives a
reference to Temminck’s ‘Manuel’ as “ part 111. p. 620,” which
ought to be read “ part iv. p. 620,” an error which I found he
had previously made in his ‘ Rev. Crit. des Ois. d’Eur.’ p. 68.
In spite of these difficulties I did not lose the scent until 1832,
where, so far as I have been able to trace it, M. lugens,
Pallas, appears for the first time in Kittlitz’s ‘ Kupfertafeln
zur Naturgeschichte der Vogel,’ p. 16, pl. 21. fig. 1, from
Kamtchatka.

From this peninsula there is fortunately a series of skins
- in the St.-Petersburg Museum, which I had an opportunity
of examining, and which I identified as M. lugens of Temm.
& Schl. Kittlitz describes his bird as the commonest sum-
mer bird in Kamtchatka, and remarks that in autumn it has a
white throat, bounded beneath by black, and an ash-grey back.
The description is very meagre, and the plate of the bird in
breeding-dress represents a state of plumage which I have
not seen. ‘The throat is in full summer plumage, 7. e. black
to the base of the bill, but the cheeks remain in winter plu-
mage. A reference to the excellent plate of WZ. lugens in the
‘Fauna Japonica’ (pl. 25) will show that in full breeding-
plumage the black on the throat extends up to, and forms
one mass with, the black line through the eye.

We must admit that the description and also the plate of
M. lugens, Pallas, apud Kittlitz, are scarcely as satisfactory
as we could have wished upon which to found a species; but
as the Japanese bird is the only Pied Wagtail hitherto found
in Kamtchatka, there is at least a strong probability that
Kittlitz’s name refers to this bird. There is no evidence to
prove that Pallas ever named a bird M, lugens. M. lugens,

[41]

351 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

Pallas, apud Temminck (Man. d’Orn. iv. p. 620), is identified
with M. luguvbris (Man. d’Orn. ii. p. 175), which undoubtedly
includes the Japanese bird. Our bird therefore stands as
M. lugens, probably of Pallas apud Kittlitz, partly of Pallas
apud Temminck, certainly of Temminck and Schlegel. Since
it only involves a change of authority and not of name, this
seems to me to be a case in which we may safely avail our-
selves of the strict letter of the rules of nomenclature, and
eall our bird Motacilla lugens, Temm. et Schl., on the ground
that this name was “ clearly defined” for the first time in the
‘Fauna Japonica,’—rejecting also Swinhoe’s name of M.
japonica, as having been subsequently given, under the erro-
neous impression that the name M. lugens “had already been
applied to the very different western species” (vide P. Z.S.
1870, p. 180). }

It is somewhat remarkable that such an eventful day’s “ rat-
hunting ” should end without a kill, that of the three rats
started (M. lugubris, Pall., M. lugens, Pall., and M. lugens,
Illig.) every one should be run to earth, and that there is the
strongest probability that all the three “rats” are phantom
rats, myths. It is still more remarkable that the references
to these names should be quoted with so many blunders; but
perhaps the most remarkable circumstance of all is, that Pro-
fessor Newton, in the note already twice referred to, should
have “made another complication” by starting a fourth
phantom rat, MW. dugens, lig. apud Schlegel*.

Moraciiya Fiava, Linn.

I shot a solitary example of the Blue-headed Wagtail with
the white eye-stripe on the 11th June, on the Arctic circle.
This bird had probably accidentally migrated with the large
flocks of M. viridis beyond his usual latitude.

* Since the above was written, Professor Newton has pointed out to
me that in all probability it was Bonaparte who first ascribed the name
“ Jugens” to Illiger in 1850, the correctness of which statement Midden-
dorff no doubt took for granted in 1851. Professor Newton desres to
correct his footnote (Newton’s ‘ Yarrell,’ i. p. 541) as follows :—
and the Japanese form therein appeared as ‘ I. Jugens,’ aname pected ig
several writers, and amongst them Bonaparte (Consp. Av. i. p. 250), to
Illiger; but whether... .”

[42]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 352

MoraciLLa viripis, Gmel.

The Grey-headed Wagtail arrived in flocks on the Arctic
circle on the 5th of June, and soon became extremely abun-
dant. It does not seem to extend its range beyond the limit
of forest-growth, and disappeared about lat. 69°.

Motacina CITREOLA, Pall.

This beautiful bird was the first of the yellow Wagtails to
arrive at our winter-quarters. I secured the first example on
the 4th of June, and afterwards found it very abundant on
the tundra as far north as we went.

MotacI“ia MELANOPE (Pall.).

One solitary example of the Grey Wagtail fell to my gun
on the 6th of June. As this is the first time that this bird
has occurred within the Arctic circle, so far as I am aware,
it may be looked upon as an accidental occurrence. I may re-
mark that my bird, with a tail measuring 3°75 inches, is inter-
mediate in form between the eastern and western yarieties,

[43]

From ‘Tue Ins,’ for January 1879.

AMPELIS GARRULUS, Linn.

On the 14th of June I recognized the note and caught a
distant sight of a small flock of about half a dozen Wax-
wings; but the forest was so much flooded that I was unable
to do more than watch the birds through my binocular.

Parus ATER, Linn.
I did not meet with the Coal-Tit until I reached Yen-e-
saisk’ on the return journey.

Parus mMasor, Linn.

The Great Tit is a winter resident in the whole of South
Siberia; and at various villages on the journey as far north
as Yen-e-saisk’ it was frequently seen. I did not observe it
further north. .

Parus patustris, Linn., subsp. camtchatkensis, Bon.

The only time that I met with a Marsh-Tit was on the
12th May. I only saw one pair, in company with a small
party of Lapp Tits. They certainly belong to the north-
eastern form, with grey rather than brown backs, and with

[44]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 2

the black on the head extending far down the back. I can-
not distinguish a Yeu-e-say’ skin from others from Irkutsk
and Archangel. It seems to me impossible to allow specific
rank to the arctic and subarctic forms of P. palustris, and I
think they ought to figure as subspecies only—P. palustris,
subspecies borealis, and P. palustris, subspecies camt-
chatkensis.

Parvs cinctus, Bodd., subsp. grisescens, Sharpe et Dresser.

I found the Lapp Tit tolerably common in the forests on
our arrival on the Arctic circle. It was seldom that I made
a round on snow-shoes in the forest without falling in with
a small flock of these birds. I did not, however, observe
them further north. I brought home a very large series.
They agree with skins from Lake Baical in being much less
rusty on the flanks than specimens from Europe usually are.
They vary considerably inter se; and it would be easy to make
a series from the Norwegian bird, through Archangel and
Petchora skins, to the extreme Siberian form. My Yen-e-
say’ skins certainly belong to the Parus grisescens of Sharpe
and Dresser ; but the authors of that title would now, I believe,
scarcely claim specific rank for the bird they described.

Turovvus pruaris, Linn.

The Fieldfare arrived at the Arctic circle on the 8th of
June, and soon became very abundant. I took several nests
with eggs during the first week in July. It seemed to be
generally distributed over the country, breeding alone or in
small parties, and not in the large colonies which are so fre-
quently met with in Norway. The call-note of this bird, a
loose tsik-tsak, was almost constantly to be heard; but the
song seemed to be confined to the pairing-season. It is a
low and not particularly melodious warble, and is generally
commenced when the bird is on the wing. ‘The last nest of
the Fieldfare which I found was in lat. 69°, on the tundra.
Here the bird was breeding on the ground under the edge
of a cliff, in a situation such as a Ring-Ouzel might have
chosen. I did not see the Fieldfare further north than lat.
704°; but I shot them as far south as Yen-e-saisk’, in lat. 58°,

[45]

3 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

where they appeared to have been breeding, as it was only
the middle of August.

Turpus tiracus, Linn.

I shot the first Redwing on the 5th of June. It appears
to arrive earlier than the Fieldfare, and to go further north.
On the Arctic circle it built its nest in the willows and birches,
but generally nearer the ground than the Fieldfare usually
does. In lat. 71° the Redwing was still common and breed-
ing on the ground, generally on a sloping bank. I did not
see it further north.

Turpus puBius, Bechst.

The first Thrush to arrive at the Arctic circle was this
species—the Dusky Thrush (7. fuscatus of Pallas). Small
parties of it arrived on the 4th of June, and were to be found
feeding on the steep banks where the sun had melted the
snow. ‘Their call-note reminded me of that of the Redwing.
During the next week they were very plentiful, and I began
anxiously to look out for their nests; but within a fortnight
after their arrival they had all disappeared, and I saw no
more of them until the 12th of July, during our voyage down
the river. On this day we cast anchor for a few hours in
lat. 69°, and I went on shore to explore for the first time a
Siberian tundra. I climbed up the steep bank, and found
myself in a wild desolate-looking country, full of lakes,
swamps, and rivers, in some places a dead flat, in others un-
dulating, and even hilly, briluant with gay flowers, swarming
with mosquitoes, and full of birds. In sheltered places dwarf
willows and creeping-birches were growing, and (because we
were only some fifty versts from the forests) here and there
a few stunted larches. Winding through the tundra was the
bed of a river, now nothing but a small deep valley, forming
a chain of isolated lakes and pools. This river-bed bears the
name of the dried-up Doo-din’-ka, and is about fifty versts
to the north-west of the real river Doo-din’-ka. On some of
the northern slopes large patches of snow were still lying.
Most of the birds evidently had young. I found myself
generally the centre of attraction of a little crowd of birds

[46]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 4

uttering their various alarm-notes as they flew round or
waited on some shrub or plant with their bills full of mos-
quitoes, anxious to feed their young as soon as I was out of
their way. As I was returning to the shore, and descending
a steep sloping bank covered with patches of dwarf birch and
willow, overlooking a flat willow-swamp which evidently once
formed a little delta at the mouth of the dried-up Doo-din’-ka,
my attention was attracted by a pair of Dusky Thrushes
loudly proclaiming the vicinity of their nest. I shot one of
them, and, after a diligent search of half an hour, found the
nest in the fork of a willow bush level with the ground. It
was exactly like the nest of a Fieldfare, lined with dried
grass, and contained, alas! five young birds about a week old.

At noon we weighed anchor; but at midnight it was blow-
ing such a stiff gale that we were afraid to round the “ broad
nose ” of Tol-stan-os’ in the ‘ Ibis ;’ so we cast anchor under
the lee of the mud cliffs of the Yen-e-say’, and I again went
on shore. In some places the cliffs were very steep, and were
naked mud or clay. In others the slope was more gradual,
and was covered with mud and alder bushes. Among these
bushes I found the Dusky Thrush again breeding, but was ,
only able to find one nest with five nearly fledged young.
The nest was placed, as before, in the fork of a willow, level
with the ground. This was the last time that I saw this
species of Thrush.

There is considerable variation in the colour of the skins
of this species which I brought from the Yen-e-say’, espe-
cially in the amount of black on the breast and red on the
upper plumage. Some specimens have more or less rufous
on the tail-feathers, approaching 7. nawmanni. One male in
particular has scarcely any red tinge in the plumage, and has
even grey instead of chestnut axillaries. The young in nest-
ling plumage differ from the young of T. pilaris, T. iliacus,
T. obscurus, and T. atrigularis, in having more buff on the
wing and less buff on the breast.

TuRDUS oBscURUS, Gm.
During the first week of June the forests were practically

[47]

5 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

impassable. The deep snow was in process of melting, and
too soft to bear the weight even when distributed over a pair
of snow-shoes each measuring 4 feet 6 inches long and 10
inches wide. On some of the steeper slopes exposed to the
south small oases of bare ground were to be found. One of
these, close behind my quarters, thinly covered over with
bushes, was a very prolific hunting-ground for me during the
spring migration. On this piece of ground, on the 7th of
June, I had the pleasure of shooting my first brace of Dark
Thrushes (the Turdus pallens of Pallas, but not. the Turdus
pallidus of Gmelin). A couple of days afterwards I shot two
more on the same ground. As soon as the forests were pass-
able I made daily rambles, and almost always heard the song
of this bird. Turdus dubius had gone further north to breed ;
but this species was evidently stopping and making prepa-
rations to build its nest. This Thrush is a very poor songster,
but he has a splendid voice. He warbles two or three clear
rich notes, as mellow as those of a blackbird. Hestops; his
song is finished; and you hear no more for a minute, when
the same brilliant prelude is repeated. On the 27th of June
I had the good luck to take the nest of this bird. It was
placed upon a horizontal branch of a somewhat slender spruce,
about fifteen feet from the ground. The female flew off as
I approached the tree. I shot her, and soon had the nest
with five eggsin my hand. The nest is carefully made, neatly
lined with mud and afterwards with dry grass. The eggs
resemble small but richly marked Blackbird’s eggs. I did
not meet with this interesting Thrush further north than the
Arctic circle; but on my return journey, in lat. 66°, on the
3rd of August (and afterwards in lat 63°, on the 6th of
August), I shot the young in first plumage, with spotted
backs and spotted breasts. One of these skins will be figured
in Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe.’

Turpvus sipiricus, Pallas.

Whilst the remains of the ice were still straggling down
the Yen-e-say’ I occasionally caught a hasty glance at a
dark-coloured Thrush with a very conspicuous white eyebrow ;

[48]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 6

but I did not succeed in shooting one until the 19th of June

It was feeding amongst the dead leaves on the ground in a
dense birch plantation. It proved to be a fine male in adult
plumage. I made the following memorandum of the colours
of the soft parts:—‘ Bill black. Iris dark hazel. Pupil
blue-black. Legs very light brown, yellower at the back of
the tarsus and on the soles of the feet.”” In lat. 68° my com-
panion assured me that he saw one of these very handsome
birds on the wing; but I did not observe it myself after we
left the Koo-ray’-i-ka, nor did I observe it at all on the
return journey. It seems to be a very shy and wary bird,
and it is evidently a very rare Thrush in the valley of the
Yen-e-say’. Middendorff does not: mention it; but I heard of
it from a Polish exile at Toor-o-kansk’ as the Chor’-noi drohzd,
or Black Thrush.

TURDUS ATRIGULARIS, T’emm.

I did not meet with the Black-throated Thrush until the
6th of August, in lat. 63°, when-I shot two birds in first
plumage, which puzzled me. Two days later, in lat. 614°,
I secured a third young bird, and was fortunate enough to
obtain the adult female also. The chestnut colour of the
wing-lining and axillaries of the young of this species serve
to distinguish it from the young of 7’. pilaris and T. obscurus.
In the young of 7. iliacus the chestnut of the wing-lining
and axillaries is much deeper in colour, and extends onto the
flanks, whilst it is scarcely perceptible on the under tail-
coverts.

RuriciLya PH@NicuRvS (Linn.).

My sole authority for including the Common Redstart
among the birds of the Yen-e-say’ is a fine skin of a young
Redstart in first plumage, which I shot on the 3rd of August
in lat. 66°. The plumage of this skin agrees exactly with
that of the young in first plumage of our bird; and since it
was found by Harvie Brown and myself in the valley of the
Petchora in about the same latitude, I see no reason for sus-
pecting my Yen-e-say’ bird to be the young of any other
allied species, though it has not hitherto been recorded from
so far cast,

[49]

Fi Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

Cyanecuxa surecica (Linn.).

I found the Blue-throated Warbler very common in the
valley of the Yen-e-say’. It was amongst the earliest insect-
eating birds to arrive at our winter-quarters. I shot several
on the 5th of June. For a week or two they were very com-
mon ; but as the snow on the tundra melted they gradually
left us, only a few remaining to breed. I lost sight of the
Blue-throat in lat. 71°.

Nemoura cyanura (Pall.).

Curiously enough the first Warbler I shot on the Yen-
e-say’ was the Blue-rumped Warbler. It was, of course,
only an accidental straggler, who had strayed away from his
companions and reached the Arctic circle before his time.
It was the 21st of May, a bitterly cold day, no sunshine, a
sou’-west wind, but nevertheless a keen frost. I did not turn
out in the morning; but in the afternoon I put on my snow-
shoes and had a round through the forest. There was hardly
a bird to be seen ; but as I was returning to the ship I caught
sight of a little bird flitting about from tree to tree, apparently
seeking insects on the trunks below the level of the surface
of the snow in the hollows round the stems, caused by the
heat of the sun absorbed by their dark surfaces. It gave me
a long chase, flying rapidly, but never rising higher than three
or four feet above the level of the snow. At last I got a
long shot at it. It was alive when J secured it; and I re-
marked its brilliant, large, pale, blood-red eye. ‘The legs
were brown, and the bill nearly black. I shot a second ex-
ample on the 14th of June; it was busily engaged in search-
ing for insects, principally at the roots of trees. This was
all I saw of this bird. Both my birds are males, but not in
the fine metallic blue plumage which old birds attain. I was
probably at the extreme limit of this bird’s northern range.

CALLIOPE CAMTCHATKENSIS (Gmel.).

I only met with this very handsome bird once within the
Arctic circle. This was on the 14th of June, whilst the ice
was still straggling down the river. Early in the morning,
before breakfast, Blue-throats were singing lustily. One bird

[50]

Mr. H. Seebchm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 8

struck me as having a wonderfully fine song, richer and more
melodious than that of the Blue-throat, and scarcely inferior
to that of a Nightingale. I shot him to be quite sure that
he was only a Blue-throat, and was astonished to pick up a
fine male Ruby-throated Warbler. I did not meet with this
bird again until I reached Yen-e-saisk’ on my return journey.
It was then the 16th of August, and I was exploring the reedy
swamps near the river. My attention was attracted to a bird
hidden among the Carices, which was uttering avery loud harsh
ery, like fic, tic, tic. After waiting some time I got a shot
at it in a tall bunch of rushes. I felt quite sure that the bird
was a large Acrocephalus, and was astonished to find asecond
male Ruby-throat.

SAXICOLA @NANTHE (Linn.).
The Wheatear arrived at our winter quarters on the 3rd
of June, and was common as far north as we went.

PRaTINCOLA INDICA, Blyth.

The Indian form of the Stonechat, with pure white un-
spotted rump and nearly black axillaries, was rare. I noticed
it first on the 11th of June on the Arctic circle, and after-
wards in lat. 67°.

Syivia curruca, Linn., subspecies affinis, Blyth.

I first noticed the Lesser Whitethroat on the 8th of June,
and did not observe it further north than lat. 67°. In ‘ Stray
Feathers,’ i. p. 872, Mr. Brooks endeavours to show that
the Indian bird differs from ours. Of the six differences
which he there points out I cannot detect any but the first.
There is no doubt that in the eastern bird the wing 1s generally
somewhat more rounded than in the western form; but whether
this is sufficient to entitle the two forms to specific rank I
feel considerable doubt. In ten skins from England, Norway,
Heligoland, Russia, Turkey, and Asia Minor, the second pri-
mary is decidedly longer than the sixth. In one skin from
India and one from the Yen-e-say’ this is also the case. In
five skins from India and five skins from the Yen-e-say’ the
second primary is shorter than the sixth, but longer than the
seventh ; and in one skin from Cawnpore and one from Be-

[5t]

9 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

loochistan the second primary is shorter than the seventh,
_ but longer than the eighth. More evidence must, I think,
be collected before we admit S. affinis even to be a satisfac-
tory subspecies.

PuHyLLoscoPus BOREALIS (Blasius).

A fortnight after the arrival of Phylloscopus trochilus, P.
tristis, and P. superciliosus I had given up P. borealis in
despair, when suddenly it arrived in great numbers, and be-
came the commonest of the four species. The song is almost
exactly like the trill of the Redpole, but not quite so rapid,
and alittle more melodious. Its call-note is generally a single
monotonous dzit, but sometimes made into a double note by
dwelling on the first part, d—z, zit. It is less restless than
the other Willow-Warblers, by no means shy, and is easy to
shoot. When I left the Arctic circle it had probably not
commenced to breed; but on the 6th of July I had the good
fortune to shoot a bird from its nest at Egaska, in lat. 67°.
The eggs are larger than those of our Willow- Warbler’s, pure
white, and profusely spotted all over with very small and very
pale pink spots. They -were five in number. The nest was
built on the ground in a wood thinly scattered with trees,
and was placed in a recess on the side of a tussock or little
mound of grass and other plants. It was semidomed, the
outside being composed of moss, and the inside of fine dry
grass. There was neither feather nor hair used in the con-
struction. I did not see this bird further north than lat. 69°.

PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS (Linn.).

“ Sylvia icterina, Vieill.”, Eversm. (nec Vieill.), Add. ad
Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. fase. 11. p. 14 (1842).

Phyllopneuste eversmani, Bp. Consp. Gen. Avium, p. 289
(1850).

It was with very great pleasure that I heard the familiar
song of this European bird on the 4th of June on the Arctic
circle, in the valley of the Yen-e-say’, so much further east
than it has hitherto been recorded. I afterwards found it
common extending as far northwards as lat. 70°. As this bird
has never been found in India, it would seem probable that

[52]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 10

the Yen-e-say’ Willow-Warblers winter in Persia, whence
Blanford records them.

In the St.-Petersburg Museum I had an opportunity of
examining the type of Eversmann’s Sylvia icterina, which was
afterwards rechristened by Bonaparte Phyllopneuste evers-
manni. I found it to be a typical specimen of Phylloscopus
trochilus.

Puyxuoscopus Tristis, Blyth.

The Siberian Chiffchaff arrived on the Arctic circle on the
4th of June, and was a common bird there until we left.
Even before the snow was melted in the forests its cheerful
chivit’-chivet’ was constantly to be heard. When feeding it
is a most restless bird, seeming always to be in a hurry, as
if its object were to cover as much ground as possible. Later
on in the season it was much less difficult to shoot. Although
it arrives so early, it appears to be a late breeder. The first
nest I found was on the 2nd of July in lat. 67°. We were
taking in ballast after our second narrow escape from ship-
wreck. I went on shore for a few hour’s shooting. Along-
side the ship, on a grassy part of the river-bank, there were
three Ost’-yak chooms, with a herd of about fifty reindeer.
Fifty yards above this encampment the shore was very muddy,
and between the river and the forest was a long gently sloping
bank sprinkled over with willows. In these trees wisps of
dry grass were hanging, caught between the forks of the
branches, and left there after the high water had subsided.
In one of these, about two feet from the ground, a Siberian
Chiffchaff had built its nest, or rather it had appropriated one
of them for its nest. There was scarcely any attempt at
interlacing stalks. It was undoubtedly the most slovenly
and the most loosely constructed nest I remember to have
seen. It was scarcely more than a hole, about two and a half
inches in diameter, with one side a little higher than the other.
The entrance was somewhat smaller than the greatest size
inside, which was very globular and carefully lined with Caper-
calsie and Willow-Grouse feathers, plenty of which would
naturally be found so near to an Ost’-yak choom. I shot

[53]

11 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

the bird from the nest, which contained three eggs. My next
nest of this bird was taken on the 14th of July, and contained
four eggs. It was placed in the branches of an alder-bush,
about four feet from the ground, and within twenty yards of
the water’s edge. It was rather more carefully constructed
than the one I previously found, and composed of dry grass,
semidomed, and lined with Willow-Grouse feathers. The
third nest I took on the island of Mah’-la Brek’-off-sky,
about lat. 703°. This nest was similar in construction to the
others, but was placed in the rank herbage within a few inches
oftheground. The eggs inthis and a fourth nest which I took
the same day (July 15th), were somewhat incubated. The
Siberian Chiffchaff lays a bold round egg, large for the size
of the bird, pure white, spotted with dark purple-red, almost
black. Sometimes the spots are of considerable size. I have
no hesitation in saying that the eggs which Harvie-Brown
and I brought from the Petchora, which we supposed to be
eggs of this bird, were only unusually small varieties of those
of the common Willow- Warbler.

I did not meet with the Siberian Chiffchaff further north
than 703°; but on the return journey I continually met with
it as far south as Yen-e-saisk’. On these occasions it was
carefully tending its newly fledged young. Its plaintive mono-
syllabic call-note was then often heard; but it appeared to
have dropped the chivit’ chivet’.

Puytioscorus ruscatus, Blyth.

On my return journey I spent a few days in the middle of
August at Yen-e-saisk’, devoting some time to the explora-
tion of the banks of the Yen-e-say’. The country was almost
flat, and for miles I wandered across an extent of meadow-
land which had recently been cut for hay. This meadow-
land is intersected with numerous half-dried-up river-beds
running parallel to the Yen-e-say’. These river-beds are
full of tall Carices and various water-plants, and are almost
concealed by willow trees. Occasionally the water is open.
One of the commonest birds in these swamps was Phyllo-
scopus fuscatus ; what we saw were mostly young birds not
fully fledged.

[54]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 12

PHYLLOSCOPUS SUPERCILIOSUS (Gmel.).

On the 4th of June, while the ill-fated ‘ Thames’ was in
the agonies of its first shipwreck, I was delighted to have my
attention called away by the note of this interesting bird,
which I recognized at once as the same which I had heard
in Gaetke’s garden on Heligoland the year before. It is
very fairly represented by the word weest. The bird soon
became very common, frequenting almost exclusively the
pine-forests on the banks of the Koo-ray’-i-ka and the Yen-
e-say’. It was not particularly shy ; and on more than one
occasion I watched it for some time at a distance of only a
few feet. On one occasion only I heard it make any attempt
at a song; this was on the 2lst of June. The bird was
perched upon the extreme summit of a spruce, and stood
shivering its wings, uttering a few plaintive notes, most of
them poor and feeble variations on its call-note. On the
26th of June I was fortunate enough to find its nest. Curi-
ously enough I was this time also in company with a Heligo-
lander, Mr. Boiling, the ship-builder of Yen-e-saisk’. Late

cage 0 the evening we were strolling through the forest between
“the Koo-ray’-i-ka and the Yen-e-say’. As we were walking
along a little bird started up near us, and began most per-
sistently to utter the well-known cry of the Yellow-browed
Warbler. As it kept flying around us from tree to tree, we
naturally came to the conclusion that it had a nest near.
We searched for some time unsuccessfully, and then retired
to a short distance, and sat down upon a tree-trunk to watch.
The bird was very uneasy, but continually came back toa
birch tree, from which it frequently made short flights to-
wards the ground, as if it was anxious to return to its nést,
but dare not whilst we werein sight. This went on for about
half an hour, when we came to the conclusion that the nest
must be at the foot of the birch tree, and commenced a second
search. In less than five minutes I found the nest, with six
eggs. It was built in a slight tuft of grass, moss, and bil-
berries, semidomed, exactly like the nests of our Willow-
Warblers. It was composed of dry grass and moss, and lined
with reindeer-hair. The eggs were very similar in colour to-_

[55]

13 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

those of our Willow-Warbler, but more spotted than usual,

and smaller in size. I did not meet with this bird further
north than lat. 70°, nor did I see it on the return voyage.

AcCROCEPHALUS SCH@NOBENUS (Linn.).
It is rather remarkable that the Sedge-Warbler should
have hitherto been overlooked in Siberia. It arrived on the

Arctic circle on the 15th of June, and soon became very.

abundant; but I did not observe it further north than lat. 67°.

AcROCEPHALUS DUMETORUM, Blyth.

I did not meet with this bird until the 8th of August,
on my return journey, in lat. 62°, where it was evidently
breeding.

LocusTELLA CERTHIOLA (Pall.).

As I passed through Yen-e-saisk’ on my return journey,
towards the end of August, I found this rare Grasshopper-
Warbler breeding in the swampy thickets near the banks of
the river. The young in first plumage from this locality will
be described and figured in Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe.’

I found it very shy and skulking mits habits. The young
birds, some only half fledged, were still in broods; and occa-
sionally I got a shot at one which left the sedges and ventured
into the willows. They were calling anxiously to each other,
the note being a harsh fie, tie, tie.

Authentic skins of this bird in first plumage, now for the
first time obtained, are very interesting. They prove that
the various skins to be fouud in collections labelled L. ocho-
tensis by Dybofisky, from Lake Baical, are simply the young
of L. certhiola. The general colour of the underparts of the
young in first plumage is buffish yellow, darkest on the breast
and flanks, and inclining to chestnut on the under tail-coverts.
In first winter plumage this yellow tinge is retained ; but it is
lost in the spring moult, the general colour of the underparts
being then buffish white, darkest on the breast, flanks, and
under tail-coverts. A third state of plumage is that of the
adult after the autumn moult, in which the buff of the under-
parts almost approaches chestnut. In this state (gradually
becoming duller by abrasion as the winter wears on) it is the

[56]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 14

L. rubescens of Blyth. Jerdon seems to have been acquainted
with all three states of plumage. The young and adult in
summer plumage he describes under the name of L. certhiola
(Pall.); but doubtful of the identity of the Siberian and Indian
birds, he proposes the name of L. temporalis for the latter,
in case they should afterwards be found to be distinct. The
autumn plumage of the adult he describes as L. rudescens,
Blyth, but alludes to that ornithologist’s opinion that it might
be identical with Pallas’s bird. Salvadori’s Calamodyta dorie
is L. certhiola in winter plumage from Borneo. WhenI was
in Paris ?abbé David told me that the type of Locustella
minor, David et Oustalet, was lost ; but he assured me, what
I was already prepared to assert, that it is a bad species, and
the name must sink into a synonym of L. certhiola. Full
references to all these synonyms will appear in Dresser’s
‘ Birds of Europe.’ .

LocusteLtia ocHoTensis, Midd.

Sylvia (Locustella) ochotensis, Midd. Sib. Reis. 11. p. 185
(1851). Young in first plumage.

Sylvia (Locustella) certhiola, Midd. Sib. Reis. i. p. 184
(1851, nec Pall.). Adult.

Locustella japonica, Cassin, Proc. Ac. Se. Phil. 1858, p. 194.
Young.

Locustella subcerthiola, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1874, p.154, Adult.

Arundinax blakistoni, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1876, p. 382. Young
in first winter plumage.

The synonymy of L. ochotensis and L. certhiola have
hitherto been in such hopeless confusion that I am glad to
have an opportunity of putting them in something like order.
When I was in St. Petersburg the curator of the Museum,
with the politeness so characteristic of the Russians, gave me
every facility for inspecting types and other interesting skins
in the collection. I found that all the skins collected by Mid-
dendorff near the shores of the Sea of Ochotsk, labelled re-
spectively L. certhiola and L. ochotensis, belonged to one
species, the former being adult birds, and the latter young in
first plumage. The difference between them lay solely in the

[57]

15 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

general colour of the underparts. This was buffish white in
the adult birds, and buffish yellow in the young, precisely
the difference which I had found only a few weeks before
between the adult and young of the very closely allied L.
certhiola. None of Middendorff’s birds, however, were the
true L. certhiola of Pallas. The name L. ochotensis, Midd.,
therefore stands for this species, with L. certhiola, Pall. apud
Midd., as asynonym. Besides Middendorff’s type I found a
fine series of skins of this bird collected by Wosnessensky in
Kamtchatka and the Kurile Islands. This bird differs from
L. certhiola in having the upper parts plain, like L. luscini-
cides, instead of spotted, like. L. nevia. Young birds have,
however, traces of obscure spots on the head and back. In
this state it was described by Cassin as L. japonica from Japan.
The young in first winter plumage was described by Swinhoe
as Arundinax blakistoni, from the same locality. One of
Wosnessensky’s skins from Kamtchatka came into Swinhoe’s
possession, and was described by him as L. subcerthiola. It
is that of an adult bird, and agrees exactly with a skin in my
collection collected by Wosnessensky on Urup island, one of
the Kurile Islands, between Kamtchatka and Japan. In the
British Museum is a skin from Labuan, in Borneo, where this
species winters.

LocusTELLA FASCIOLATA (Gray).

Acrocephalus fasciolatus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 349.
Acrocephalus insularis, Wallace, Ibis, 1862, p. 350.
Calamoherpe fumigata, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1863, pp. 91, 293.
Calamoherpe subflavescens, Elliot, P. Z. 8. 1870, p. 243.

It may at first sight appear a somewhat bold step to take
to unite two species hitherto considered so distinct as A. fas-
ciolatus and A. insularis, and a still bolder one, after having
married the two species, to send them to spend their honey-
moon in the genus Locustella. The fact is that they agree
in every particular, except in the colour of the underparts.
The difference of colour, however, is exactly what we have
just found to be the difference between young and adult plu-
mage in two species of the genus Locustella. I have already

[58]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 16

given my reasons in the last number of ‘ The Ibis’ for placing
this species in that genus. In the Museum at St. Petersburg
are two very beautiful skins of adult birds of this species from
the Ussuri river. Young birds have been obtained by Dy-
boffsky in Daouria, and have been described by Elliot as C.
subflavescens from the same locality. Swinhoe described the
adult passing through China on migration, as C. fumigata,
and also recorded it from Japan. Wallace described A.
insularis from Gilolo and Morty; and Gray described his A.
fasciolatus from skins collected by Wallace in Batchian, Gi-
lolo, and Morty. I think I may fairly claim that all the
known facts of the geographical distribution of these two
birds are in favour of my theory that they are young and
adult of one species.

ACCENTOR MONTANELLUS (Pall.).

I first noticed this bird on the 19th of June, a quiet skulk-
ing bird, rarely seen on the wing, and principally frequenting
the willows near the banks of the Yen-e-say’. Four days
afterwards I had a long chase on the Koo-ray’-i-ka side of
the river after a bird whose song J had frequently heard before.
It was a short unpretentious song, something like that of our
Hedge-Sparrow. ‘The bird was generally on the top of a high
tree, where it sang its short song, and went onto another tree.
At last I succeeded in shooting it from the top of a pine, and
was astonished to find it the Mountain-Accentor. I did not
meet with it again until I reached lat. 704°, where I found it
breeding in the island of Mah’-la Brek’-off-sky. Here it was
skulking among the willows, like a Grasshopper-Warbler.
The nest was within a foot of the ground ; but I was so worried
with mosquitoes that I neglected to note the materials of
which it was composed. The eggs are blue, like those of our
Hedge-Sparrow. I did not meet with it further north.

Hrrvunpo. rustica, Linn.

On the 16th of May a solitary Barn-Swallow appeared. I
did not see another until we were within a hundred miles of
Yen-e-saisk’ on the return journey. At that town they were
common enough.

[59]

17. —S- Mr. H.. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

CHELIDON LAGoPoDA (Pall.). )

In the ‘ Proceedings’ of the Zoological Society, 1862, p. 320,
Swinhoe described a Martin which differs from ours in having
the upper tail-coverts white to the tips of the feathers, and
the axillaries and wing-lining dark brown. He gave it the
name of C. whitelyi; but in‘ The Ibis,’ 1874, p. 152, he pointed
out that it is identical with the Hirundo lagopeda of Pallas.
This bird was the only Chelidon which I obtained on the Yen-
e-say’. Several pairs arrived on the Arctic circle on the 11th of
June, and were soon busy hawking for flies and examining their
oldnests. In the village of Koo-ray’-i-ka, opposite the mouth
of the river of that name, they swarmed in thousands. The
nest exactly resembles that of our House-Martin; but the birds
seemed to be very capricious in selecting a house where they
might trust their young. One house in particular seemed to
be the favourite ; and here the eaves were crowded with rows
of nests, in some places three or four deep. The eggs are, if
any thing, larger than those of our bird, but also pure white.
I observed this bird up to lat. 69°, where a few pairs were
breeding. I could not perceive any difference in the habits
or notes of these birds and those of our own species. On the
return journey I noticed a colony, doubtless of these birds,
which had built their nests against the limestone cliffs of the
Kah’-nin Pass, as our bird frequently does in the limestone
districts of Yorkshire, the Parnassus, &c. As I passed through
Yen-e-saisk’ in the middle of August, the House-Martins
were swarming on the church-towers, preparing for departure
on their autumn migration.

When these Swallows began to make preparations for breed-
ing, the ‘Thames’ was riding at anchor in the Koo-ray’-i-ka.
Some scores of these birds evidently took a great fancy to
the ship, and began to build their nests on the sails under the
yardarms.

CorTyYLeE ripaRiA, Linn. '

The Sand-Martin arrived on the Arctic circle on the 9th
of June. Both on the banks of the Ob and the Yen-e-say’
large colonies of these birds were frequent. I did not see

[60]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 18

any further north than lat. 67°. Siberian birds, like those
of North Europe, are somewhat darker brown above and
purer white below than our Sand-Martin.

[64]

From ‘Tue Ists,’ for April 1879.

TETRAO UROGALLUS, Linn.

The Capercailzie was not nearly so common as the Black
Grouse; but I succeeded in obtaining two males and two
females. I shot the first female on the 29th of April. In
this bird the feathers on the feet extended halfway down the
last joint of the toes, within a quarter of an inch of the claws.
The second example was shot on the 10th of June; and the
feathers on the feet extended only halfway down the first
joint of the toes, nearly an inch and a half from the claws.
The crops of these birds were full of the spine-like leaves of
the cedar and Scotch fir. I saw no trace of 7. urogalloides.

TeTRAO TETRIX, Linn.

Black Grouse were common during our stay at Koo- -~ray’- .
i-ka. They appeared to find abundance of food in the buds
of the birch and hazel in the severest weather. It was not
an uncommon thing to see half a dozen of them in one tree
together. We saw no more of them after passing the limit
of forest-growth.

TrrrastTEs BONASIA (Linn.).

I shot the first pair of Hazel-Grouse on the 3rd of May,
and occasionally picked up a pair afterwards. On the 25th
of June I took a nest with eight eggs. These birds were very
easy to shoot. When disturbed from the ground they took
refuge in a tree, where they allowed themselves to be easily
stalked, not appearing to be alarmed at the rattling of my
snow-shoes on the hard crust of the snow. The sailors told
me they had been common in the autumn, but had disappeared

[62]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 148

in the severest part of the winter. Their crops were full of
the buds of birch and hazel.

Lacorus aLBus (Gm.).

The Willow-Grouse is a migratory bird in Siberia. It
breeds on the tundra, and winters in the forests. As we
sledged down the Yen-e-say’ in April we once or twice saw
flocks of these birds flying northwards, apparently on migra-
tion. The sailors told me that Willow-Grouse were common
at the Koo-ray!-i-ka in autumn, but disappeared in midwinter.
The first I shot was on the 15thof May. It was in full winter
plumage, except a band of chestnut feathers round the neck ;
but on raising the white feathers on the crown the new crop
of chestnut feathers was visible.

I very seldom saw a bird until the ice on the river began
to break up, when they were more plentiful for a week or
two, after which they disappeared from the forests. A bird
I shot on the 6th of June was in full winter plumage, except
a chestnut ring round the neck, a sprinkling of chestnut fea-
thers on the crown, and two or three chestnut feathers on
the shoulders and scapulars. On the 4th of July, in lat. 67°,
where patches of tundra were found between the forest and
the river, I found them breeding in full summer plumage.
On the 22nd of July, in lat. 714°, they had young.

LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS, Gm.

Professor Newton was the first to point out to me the fact
that my Yen-e-say’ skins labelled LZ. mutus were not that
bird, but most probably L. rupestris. I brought home two
males and a female, all shot on the 22nd of July, in lat. 714°,
four or five hundred feet above the level of the sea. I also
brought home a skin in winter plumage in which the space
between the eye and the bill is black; but as I bought it ina
frozen state on the Arctic circle, it may have been brought
down from a locality much further north.

The female differs from a female of L. albus, shot on the
same day in the valley, in having a slenderer bill, and in
having the Gastficts of ite back pana cipal aisle ae

[63]

149'” My. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

are mostly tipped with ochraceous, rarely with white. The
males differ from the female in having the ochraceous bars
narrower, more numerous, and interrupted, making the general
effect of the plumage of the upper parts darker and richer.
' The throat. and breast are rather paler than the back. The
belly and under tail-coverts of one are white, and in the
other the feathers on the flanks are half white and half mot-
tled' black and ochraceous, on the under tail-coverts all mot-
tled, and on the belly half white and half mottled ash-grey
and ochraceous.

So far as I know, this is the first record of this species on
the mainland of the Palearctic region. In size my skins of
this bird are smaller than those of the Willow-Grouse,
measuring in length of wing 73 to 7} inches against 7? to 8
inches (measured with a tape across the upper surface of the
wing). ,

BorauRus sTELLARIS (Linn.).

I brought home the skin of a Bittern which I found hang-
ing up in a peasant’s house in a little village on the banks of
the Yen-e-say’, in lat. 64°. Thepeasant told me that he had
shot it in the neighbourhood some time during the previous
summer.

Grus communis, Bechst.

I first observed the Crane about lat. 60° on my return
journey up the Yen-e-say’ on the 12th of August, when small ,
parties were migrating southwards. I frequently saw these
birds at Yen-e-saisk’ during the few days I remained at that
town ; and afterwards they were not uncommon on the Ob
and the Too’-ra. ,

GRUS LEUCOGERANUS, Pall.

A small flock of four or five of these handsome birds flew
leisurely over our steamer as we were threading the labyrinths
of the Too’-ra. _ During flight they appeared to be pure white
all over, except the outside half of each wing, which looked
jet-plack.

TRINGA TEMMINCKI, Leisl.
As soon as the snow had melted on the banks of the river,
[64] i

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. . 150

so that patches of bare grass were visible in favourable places,
these oases were visited by small parties of Temminck’s Stints.
I shot the first on the 6th of June. Most of these birds mi-
grated further north; but a few remained to breed, and on
the 24th I found a nest containing two eggs on the south
bank of the Koo-ray’-i-ka.

Further north, wherever we landed on the shores of the
river or on the islands of the delta, Temminck’s Stint was by
far the commonest Sandpiper. I brought home several sit-
tings of its eggs, both from the Brek’-off-sky islands in lat.
704°, and from Gol-cheek’-a, in lat. 714°. On my return:
journey I found it plentiful on the banks of the Yen-e-say’ in
in lat. 58° in the middle of August. These birds had pro-
bably not bred so far south, but were most likely slowly mi-
grating southwards towards their winter quarters.

TriIncGA MINUTA, Leisl.

I did not see any trace of the Little Stint until I reached
Gol-cheek’-a, in lat. 714°, on the 19th of July. It was then
too late for eggs. I had, however, been fortunate enough to
charter a Samoyade, who brought me a couple of baskets full
of unblown eggs. In this collection were nine eggs so exactly
like those of the Little Stint which Harvie Brown and I ob-
tained near the banks of the lagoon of the Petchora, that I
only required to see the birds in the neighbourhood to feel
sure of their identity. I spent the following day on the tundra,
and secured two female Little Stints; and on the 22nd I secured
a male of this species.

TRINGA suBARQUATA, Gild.

On the 15th of June I obtained a fine Curlew Sandpiper
in full breeding-plumage at the village of Koo-ray’-i-ka, on

the Arctic circle. It was doubtless en route for its breeding-
grounds, nearer the sea than I was able to get, as I saw nothing
more of this interesting species.

The eggs of this bird and those of the Knot are now the
two great prizes left for British oologists to try and secure.
Drs. Finsch and Brehm found the Curlew Sandpiper breeding-
in great numbers about the Ist of August on the isthmus of

LSS

151 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

the Yalmal peninsula, near the margins of the lakes on the
tundra, about lat. 674°. They were too late for eggs, but
had young in down in their hands. The mosquitoes, how-
ever, were so overwhelming that these adventurous ornitho-
logists failed to bring home any specimens of this still un-
known state of plumage. Capt. Feilden was more fortunate
with the Knot. He brought home young in down ob-
tained during the. late Arctic Expedition. This bird was
breeding in lat. 824°, on the shores of the Polar basin, a little
_to the north of Cape Union; and the young in down were
obtained on the 30th of July. It was also breeding on both
shores of the channel at Thank-God Harbour and ee
Bay, in lat. 812°.

TRINGA ALPINA, Linn.

I saw nothing of the Dunlin until the 14th of July, when
I shot a couple of males in lat. 69°; and four days later I shot
a male and female in lat. 713°. With these birds were young
in down. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Charles Murray
Adamson, of Newcastle, who has paid great attention for
many years to the changes in the plumage of the Waders, for
pointing out to me the interesting fact that these birds are
all moulting nearly the whole of their primaries at once, to
such an extent as to incapacitate them for extended flight,
and at a much earlier period than is the case in this country.
Mr. Adamson suggests that in the high latitudes, where the
summer is so short, the parent birds probably migrate with
their young, instead of a core later, as is usually observed
in this country, Heligoland, &c. "To enable them to do so
the autumn moult must take place at an earlier date.

Macuetes puenax (Linn.).

The Ruff was a common bird in the valley of the Yen-e-say’.
I shot the first on migration on the 9th of June on the
Arctic circle ; and afterwards I met with them wherever there
was long grass in the swamps of the tundra as far north as
I travelled.

ActitiIs HypoLeuca (Linn.).
I shot the first Common Aen on the 12th of June,

[66]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 152

and found it frequent ‘on the banks of the river wherever I
went.

TEREKIA CINEREA (Giuld.).

The Terek Sandpiper arrived at our quarters on the 8th of
June, and was common on the banks of the river and islands
as far north as lat. 70°.

Limosa Lapponica (Linn.).

The only trace of the Bar-tailed Godwit which came under
my notice was a single bird which Schwanenberg’s mate
shot for me on the Brek’-koff-sky islands ee the spring
migration.

ToraNus GLAREOLA (Linn.).

Next to Temminck’s Stimt the Wood-Sandpiper was by
far the commonest Wader in the valley of the Yen-e-say’. I
shot the first on the 6th of June atthe Koo-ray’-i-ka, but did
not meet with it north of lat. 69°.

Toranus ocHropus (Linn.).

I shot my first Green Sandpiper on the 15th of June, on
the Arctic circle. It was by no means a common bird. On
the 6th of July, at Egarka, in lat. 67°, I found a nest of this
bird in a willow tree, about six feet from the ground, con-
taining one egg. I did not meet with it further north ; but
on my return journey, early in August, I found it common
on the banks of the river near Yen-e-saisk’.

VANELLUS vuLGARIS, Bechst.
I did not meet with the Lapwing until we had nearly
reached Tyu-mane’ on the return journey.

CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, Linn.

I shot the first Golden Plover on the banks of the Koo-
ray’-i-ka on the 7th of June, and found it common on the
tundra as far north as we went. On the return journey I
spent some hours near Vare’-shin-sky, in lat. 69°, on the
29th of July, and saw several pairs of Golden Plovers. They
were very anxious to lead me away from their young. Occa-
sionally they uttered their plaintive cry from the ground, but

: [67]

153. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

more often from the summit of alarch tree. Ishot one from
the top of a larch at least fourteen feet from the ground.

CHARADRIUS FULVUS, Gmel. ;

On the 5th of June I had the pleasure of shooting my first
Asiatic Golden Plover. This bird is at once distinguishable
from the last-mentioned species by its smaller size, and grey
instead of white axillaries. A third distinction may also be
found in the comparatively longer tarsus of the eastern bird.
In its voice it exactly resembles the Grey Plover. I noticed
all the three variations with which I am so familiar in the note
of the latter bird, but remarked that the third variation, which
I take to be a combination of the two others more rapidly
uttered (see Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe,’ Appendix to the
article on Squatarola helvetica), is much more frequently
uttered by the Asiatic Golden Plover than by the Grey
Plover. I secured many specimens of this interesting bird
as it passed the Koo-ray’-i-ka on migration. I did not observe
it again until we reached lat. 693°, on the open tundra just
beyond the limit of forest-growth. Not a trace of a pine
tree was to be seen; and the birches had dwindled. down to
stunted bushes scarcely a foot high. I took a nest of Turdus
fuscatus with young birds as I climbed up the steep bank
where alders and willows still flourished luxuriantly, and had
scarcely reached the top before I heard the cry of a Plover.
The tundra was hilly, with lakes and swamps and bogs in the
wide valleys and plains. I found myself upon an excellent
piece of Plover-ground, covered more with moss and lichen
than with grass, sprinkled with patches of bare pebbly ground,
and interspersed with hummocky plains, where ground-fruits
and gay flowers were growing. I soon caught sight of both
male and female, and sat down with the intention of watching

the latter onto the nest. After wasting half an hour, during -

which the bird wandered uneasily round and round me with-
out showing any partiality for a special locality, I came to
the conclusion, either that the eggs were hatched, in which
case my watching was in vain, or that I was so near the nest
that the female dare not come on. The male had a splendid

[68]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 154

black belly ; and I decided to take my first good chance of a
shot at him, and then to devote another half hour toa search
for the nest. He proved to be, as I suspected, the Asiatic
Golden Plover, with grey axillaries. My search for the nest
was a very short one. I found it in less than five minutes,
within a dozen yards of my position. It was a mere hollow
in the ground upon a piece of turfy land, overgrown with _
moss and lichen ; and it was lined with broken stalks of rein-
deer moss. The eggs, four in number, were a size smaller
than those of the Golden Plover, averaging 136 x 143. ee
of the Golden Plover from the same Ree average 2,%,
116.) These eggs were taken on the 18th of July, and mere
very much incubated.

Among the eggs which had been collected for me at Gol-
checka was asecond sitting of Asiatic Golden Plover’s. Here
the bird was extraordinarily common. I tried to watch
several birds onto the nest, but in every case without success.
They behaved exactly as if they had young. I succeeded in
catching one young bird in down, and reluctantly came to
the conclusion that I was too late (on the 20th of July) for
eggs. The young in down is quite as yellow as that of the
Golden Plover.

In ‘ The Ibis’ for 1863, p. 404, Swinhoe represents this bird
as breeding plentifully on- Formosa. The eggs are described
as measuring 14° x 1,4,. These eggs are still in the Swinhoe
collection, and average : 46x 14%. They exactly resemble my
eggs in colour, but are much Snalles and rounder at the small
end. Two other eggs in the same collection, of exactly the
same colour and shape, and from the same locality, are marked
Aigialitis geass. These two eggs are a shade smaller,
measuring 143 x1; but I am induced to think that Swinhoe
has been led an = his collectors, and that all these Formosa
eggs belong to &. geoffrow. Swinhoe further states that C.
fulvus is common on Formosa “all the year round.” Unfor-
tunately the skins of this bird from Formosa in the Swinhoe
collection are not dated. I have no doubt that great numbers of
this bird pass through Formosa in breeding-plumage in spring,
and again in winter plumage in autumn. Some may very

[69]

155 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

probably winter in so southern a station as Formosa; and
after what Capt. Legge tells me of similar occurrences in
Ceylon, I can imagine that barren birds in imperfect breeding-
plumage may not unfrequently be found during summer in
their winter quarters ; but I scarcely think it possible that C.
fulvus breeds south of the Arctic circle, at least three thousand
miles further north than Formosa. If any of these Formosan
eggs are those of 4. geoffroii, it is evidence, as far as it goes,
that this bird is a Eudromias, and not an Aigialitis; for they
are almost miniatures of the eggs of the Dotterel, Z.morinellus.

EUDROMIAS MORINELLUS (Linn.).

Small parties of Dotterel appeared from the 9th of June
for about a week at the Koo-ray’-i-ka. I did not meet with
this species again until the 25th of July, on my return
journey, when, in lat. 71°, I shot a male and picked up a
young bird in half down and half feathers.

/EGIALITIS HIATICULA (Linn.).

The Ringed Plover arrived on the 8th of June at our
winter quarters, and was common as far north as I went
(lat. 713°).

PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS (Linn.).

The Red-necked Phalarope arrived at the Koo-ray’-i-ka on
the 15th of June, and was abundant as far north as I went.

GALLINAGO STENURA (Kuhl).

The first Wader which arrived at our winter quarters on
the Arctic circle was the Pin-tailed Snipe. We shot a couple
on the fifth of June, three days after the ice began to break
up on the great river. Three days later they were exceed-
ingly common on the oases of bare grass which the sun had
been able to make in a few favourable situations in the midst
of the otherwise universal desert of melting snow. I could
easily have shot a score a day if I had had cartridges to spare.
They used to come wheeling round, uttering a loud and rather
shrill cry (some idea of which may be gathered by the sound
of the word peezh, long drawn out) ; then they used to drop
down with a great whirr of wings, and with tail outspread—

[70] |

~

-

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 156

an operation which seemed so engrossing that they appeared
seldom to discover until they were on the ground that they
had chosen a spot to alight within twenty yards of a man
with a gun. It was amusing to see them find out their mis-
take. Sometimes as soon as they caught my eye they would
take wing and fly quietly away ; but more often they would
hurry off as fast as their legs would carry them, and hide
behind a tuft of grass ora bush. I never heard the Pin-tailed
Snipe “ drum,” as the Common Snipe often does, when wheel-
ing round and round at a considerable height in the air ; nor
did I ever hear the tyzk-tyuk so characteristic of the Common
Snipe. I think the Pin-tailed Snipe is much easier to shoot
than our bird. The flight seems to me slower and less zigzag.

GALLINAGO SCOLOPACINA, Bonap.

The Common Snipe was either much rarer or much more
wary than the Pin-tailed Snipe ; for out of twenty skins which
I brought home with me four proved to be those of G. sco-
lopacina, and sixteen those of G. stenura. They probably
arrive on the Arctic circle at the same time, as my first Pin-
tailed Snipe was shot on the 5th of June and my first Com-
mon Snipe on the 9th. I founda nest of the Common Snipe
in a marsh on the outskirts of the forest in lat. 67° on the
6th of July. The eggs were considerably incubated. I can
find no differences in size or general coloration in these two
Snipes ; but a minute examination discloses the following cha-
racters :—My skins of G. scolopacina vary in length of culmen
from 2°87 to 3 inches, whilst those of G. stenura only mea-
sure from 2°33 to 2°73. G. stenura may be always at once

recognized by the very narrow and stiff feathers on each side
_ of the tail. The tail of this bird is also shorter, in my skins
varying from 1:65 to 1:9. In my skins of G. scolopacina the
length of the tail varies from 2°4 to 2-6. In G. stenura the
under wing-coverts are all distinctly barred with black, whilst
in G. scolopacina many of them are pure white. These two
species of Snipe probably breed north of the Arctic circle,
as I saw nothing more of them at the Koo-ray’-i-ka after the |
middle of June.

zal;

157. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia,

GaLLINaGco Magor (Gmelin).

Six days after the arrival of the Pin-tailed Snipe the Double
Snipefappeared in considerable numbers, and soon became by
far the commonest species. In the evenings I used some-
times to watch these birds through my binocular. With a
little caution I found it easy to get very near them ; and fre-
quently I have sat partially concealed between a couple of
willow bushes attentively turning my glass on two or three
pairs of these birds, all within fifteen or twenty yards of me.
They used to stretch out their necks, throw back the head
almost onto the back, and open and shut their beaks rapidly,
uttering a curious noise, like running one’s finger along the
edge of acomb. This was sometimes accompanied by a short
flight or by the spreading of the wings and tail. The Double
Snipe is by no means shy, and allows of a near approach.
When it gets up from the ground it rises with a whirr of the
wings like that of a Grouse, but not so loud. The Double
Snipe probably breeds on the Arctic circle, as it still frequented
the marshy ground near the Koo-ray’-i-ka when we weighed
anchor in the ill-starred ‘ Thames’ on the 29th of June, and
I found it still frequenting the same locality when I returned
in the ‘ Yen-e-say’ on the 2nd of August.

Cyenus musicus, Bechst.

I did not succeed in identifying the common Wild Swan
in the valley of the Yen-e-say’. Every skin which I had an
opportunity of examining proved to be that of Bewick’s Swan ;
every footprint in the sand which I measured was that of
Bewick’s Swan; and all the eggs I obtained agreed in size
with those of Bewick’s Swan which Harvie Brown and I
obtained in the Petchora, and were too small for those of the
larger species. Nevertheless there cannot be any doubt that
Cygnus musicus is found in the valley of the Yen-e-say’, since
Middendorff found it still further to the east, and it is com-
mon on the Amur. I examined a number of skins at various
stations between Tomsk and Tobolsk, and found both species
‘represented in nearly equal numbers.

[72]

Mr. H. Seebohm ox the Ornithology of Siberia. 158

Cyenus Minor, Pall.

We saw the first Swan on the Koo-ray’-i-ka on the 5th of
May ; but it was not before the 31st of that month that Swans
passed over in any number. After the latter date thousands
passed us, all flying north. I brought several eggs of Bewick’s
Swan home with me, obtained in lat. 694°. I found the
easiest way of identifying these birds was by measuring
their footprints in the sand. From the centre of the ball
of the heel to the centre of the ball next the claw of the
middle toe, the impression of the foot of Bewick’s Swan
measures 54 inches, whilst that of the common Wild Swan
measures upwards of 6 inches. Even in very slight impres-
sions on hard wet sand I found it easy to make these measure-
ments. /

a Re
ANSER SEGETUM, Gmel. [ | /CLLETA heat ii

K

2
ne

_ The first Goose was seen at our winter quarters on the 9th
of May. Whenever the weather was mild during May small

parties of Geese flew over the ship in a northerly direction. -

When the wind changed and brought us a couple of days’
frost or snow, we used to see the poor Geese migrating south-
wards again. The great annual battle of the Yen-e-say’

lasted longer than usual the year that I was there. We had —

alternate thaws and frosts during the last three weeks of May.
Summer seemed to be always upon the point of vanquishing
winter, but only to be driven back again with redoubled
vigour. During all this time there must have been thousands
and tens of thousands of Geese hovering on the skirts of
winter, continually impelled northwards by their instincts,
penetrating wherever a little open water or an oasis of grass was
visible in the boundless desert of ice and snow, and continually
driven southwards again by hard frosts or fresh falls of snow.
It was not until the ice on the great river broke up that the
great body of Geese finally passed northwards. On my return
journey I had an opportunity of again witnessing a great
stampede of Geese on the tundra in full moult and unable to
fly. The first time I witnessed this interesting sight was near
the delta of the Petchora two years previously. Then it was

[73]

of

}

159 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

on the 27th of July, and in the valley of the Yen-e-say’ on the
25th of that month.

ANSER ERYTHROPUS, , Linn.

On the Ist of June a small flock of Geese passed close over
my head as I was lying hors de combat in a snow bank, the
treacherous crust of which had given way and left me strug-
gling up to my breast endeavotring to extricate myself with-
out wetting my gun. These Geese were smaller than the
Bean-Goose, and showed some black on the belly. I after-
wards shot some of the same species and brought two skins
home, which proved to be the Little White-fronted Goose,

BERNICLA RUFICOLLIS (Pall.).

On the Ist of July the two mates belonging to Capt.
Schwanenberg’s schooner were out on the next island to that
where their unfortunate vessel was lying wrecked. I had
chartered them to collect eggs for me on the Brek’-off-sky
islands in the Yen-e-say’, in lat. 703°. They were fortunate
enough on that day to come suddenly upon a Red-necked
Goose upon her nest. They shot her before she flew off, and,
unfortunately, broke one of the two eggs upon which she was
sitting. The other egg isnowinmy collection. It measures
228 by 124, and is of a dirty-white colour, more or less in-
clining to cream-colour.

On the 28th of July, as we were slowly steaming up the
river, against stream and close inshore, I saw several of these
very handsome birds with their young broods on the banks
of the river. The captain was very anxious to get to Du-
dinka before Sot-ni-koff’s steamer arrived there ; so there was
no possibility of going on shore. This was a few miles south
of the island where my egg was taken.

ANAS CLyPEATA, Linn.

I shot a fine male Shoveller on the tundra near the village
of Koo-ray!-i-ka on the 18th of June. This was a piece of
moorland surrounded with forest, where many species of Duck
were breeding. I very seldom saw this species in the valley
of the Yen-e-say’.

[74]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 160

ANAS cREcCcA, Linn.

As soon as the ice broke up on the river, Teal became very
numerous ; and on the 20th of June I took a nest with two
eggs. I took the last Teal’s nest on the 15th of July, in lat.
704°, with fresh eggs.

Anas acuta, Linn.
The Pintail was one of the commonest Ducks on the Yen-
e-say’. I took a nest with six eggs on the 20th of June.

ANAS PENELOPE, Linn.

The Widgeon was very common at our winter quarters as
soon as the ice began to break up ; and its weird cry, mée’-ydo,
harmonized with the grating of the pack-ice and the splashing
of the “ calving” icebergs. I took the first nest, with seven
eggs, on the 18th of June.

Anas Boscuas, Linn.
The only example of the Wild Duck which I procured was a
female which I shot near Yen-e-saisk’ on my return journey.

FuxiguLa MARILA (Linn.).
I did not succeed in shooting a Scaup, but frequently recog-
nized their harsh screams.

‘FULIGULA CLANGULA (Linn.).
The Golden-eye was not uncommon at the Koo-ray’-i-ka. I
had a nest with thirteen eggs brought me on the 17th of June.

ee:

Harevpa Guactiatis (Linn.).
The Long-tailed Duck was common on the lakes on the
tundra.

(EpemMia NicRA (Linn.).
Black Scoters were abundant at the Koo-ray’-i-ka, but so
wary that I was never able to get within shot of them.

MeERGUS ALBELLUs (Linn.).
I never actually shot a Smew on the Yen-e-say’, but had
several opportunities of identifying the bird beyond doubt.

MERGUS MERGANSER (Linn.).
The Goosander was not uncommon at the Koo-ray’-i-ka ;
and I brought home several skins of this handsome Duck.

[75]

161 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

Merevs serRrator (Linn.).
_ The Red-breasted Merganser was common near the village
of Koo-ray’-i-ka. I brought home skins of males in two plu-
mages and one of a female.

SoMATERIA SPECTABILIS (Linn.).

Kitmanoff, the captain and part owner of the steamer
‘ Yen-e-say’,’ in which I returned from Gol-cheek’-a to Yen-
e-saisk, had a King Eider stuffed in his cabin. He told me
it was shot at Gol-check’-a. Capt. Wiggins told me this bird
breeds in great numbers together with the common Eider
on a large island in the By-der-at’-sker-y bay. Both these
birds are probably exclusively maritime in their habits, and
are only accidentally seen so far from the coast.

CotyMBus ADAmsI, Gray.

Besides the Black-throated and Red-throated Divers, I was
frequently told of a still larger species of Ga-gar’-a with a
white bill which frequented the lakes on the tundra.

Cotymsus arcricus, Linn.
The Black-throated Diver was very common on the Yen-
e-say’ from the Koo-ray’-i-ka to Gol-cheek’-a.

CoLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, Linn.

The Red-throated Diver was not quite so common as the
preceding species. The cries of these birds, exactly like the
screams of a child in. great pain, were constantly heard during
the grand crash of ice in which our first shipwreck occurred.

STerna Macrura, Naum.
On the 6th of June I saw the’ first Arctic Tern, and fund
it abundant in various localities further north.

Larus canus, Linn.

The Common Gull arrived at the Koo-ray’-i-ka on the 1st
of June, and remained to breed. I got fresh eggs on the 17th
of June. As in the Petchora, so also in the Yen-e-say’ valley,
I noticed its somewhat singular habit of perching in trees.
I did not observe this species of Gull on the tundra.

Larus ciavucus, Fabr.
I did not sueceed in shooting a bird of this species ; but on

[76]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 162

several occasions I saw large Gulls without the black tips to
the wing-feathers, which were doubtless L. glaucus.

Larus arFinis, Reinhardt.

This yellow-legged Herring-Gull, with a mantle nearly as
dark as that of L. fuscus, was first seen on the 81st of May.
During the breaking up of the ice the wild cries of these birds
were an appropriate accompaniment to thé grand crash which
shipwrecked us in the Koo-ray’-i-ka. As the ice broke up
further north these Gulls left us ; and we saw them no more
until we reached lat. 69°. Here a large colony frequented an
island in the river where several parties of Russians and Ost’-
yaks were fishing. This colony was almost entirely composed
of birds in immature plumage ; and there was nothing to lead
us to suppose that any of them were breeding. Between
lat. 704° and 714° we passed several breeding-stations of these
birds, where it was a very rare thing to see a Gull in imma-
ture plumage. I should have been too late to secure fresh
eggs ofthis species; but, fortunately, [had chartered a Russian
at Brek’-off-sky and a Samoyede at Gol-cheek’-a to collect
for me, and at each station I found a large basket of unblown
eggs. As might have been expected, they vary somewhat in
size and colour, and are not distinguishable from eggs of L.
fuscus or L. argentatus. So far as it is possible-to compare
the cries of birds from memory, I may confidently affirm
that these do not vary from those of ZL. argentatus or L.
cachinnans.

When I was in St. Petersburg Russow was kind enough
to unpack for me the whole of the splended series of Gulls in
the Museum, which gave me an opportunity of obtaining some
valuable information as to the geographical distribution of
these closely allied species. Larus affinis appears to breed in
the extreme north of Europe and Asia from the White Sea
to Kamchatka. It has been obtained in the breeding-season
on Bear Island, south of Solovetsk, in the White Sea (Midd.,
in Mus Petr.), on the Petchora (Seebohm & Harvie Brown), on
the Ob (Finsch & Brehm), on the Yen-e-say', on the Boganida
and Taimyr, near the North-east Cape (Mzdd., in Mus. Petr.),

[77]

163. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

and in Kamchatka (Avittlitz, in Mus. Petr. fide Schrenk).
In spring and autumn on migration it has been found in the
Caspian Sea (Karélin,in Mus. Petr.) and at Ayan, in the Sea
of Okotsk (Wosnessensky, in Mus. Petr.). The type of this
species is a skin from Greenland ; and it is described as not
uncommon at St. Michael’s, in Alaska; but until we have
evidence that it breeds on the American continent we can
scarcely consider it as more than an occasional visitant there.

LARUS CACHINNANS, Pall.

Larus affinis is, par excellence, the Arctic Herring-Gull.
L. cachinnans might with equal propriety be called the Lake
Herring-Gull. It appears to confine itself during the breed-
ing-season to lakes, rivers, andinland seas. It is the common
Herring-Gull of the Mediterranean, the only species known
at St. Petersburg, and the only species known to breed in the
Caspian Sea (Radde & Karélin, in Mus. Petr.). It is found in
the breeding-season near the Aral Sea (Severtzoff, in Mus.
Petr.), Lake Saissan (Finsch & Brehm), S.E. Mongolia (Pree-
valsky, in Mus. Petr.), Lake Baical and the island of Olchon,
in a lake to the south-east (Radde, in Mus. Petr.). This Gull
has yellow legs when fully adult, with a mantle intermediate in
shade between that of L. argentatus and L. affinis. Mr. Howard
Saunders has also pointed out to me the difference in the
respective lengths of the tarsus and the middle toe, including
the claw. In L. fuscus and L. affinis the tarsus is longer than
the foot, whereas in L. cachinnans and L. argentatus the con-
trary is the case. In L. fuscus and L. affinis it is the excep-
tion for the second primary to have a subterminal white spot,
whilst in L. cachinnans and L. argentatus it is the rule.

In the St.-Petersburg Musenm there are three skins of
L. occidentalis collected by Wosnessensky on the coast of
Southern California. This is a large form of L. fuscus, with a
short thick bill, very dark mantle, no wedge-shaped markings
on the primaries, and, as far as one can judge from dried skins,
very yellow legs. There is also a skin obtained by Wosnes-
sensky at Kodiak, on the North-American coast, which looks
like a skin of L. argentatus.

[78]

From ‘Tue Isis’ for April 1880.
: Pp

Since my return from Siberia I have received five small col-
lections of birds from Mr. Kibort, a Polish exile whose ac-
quaintance I made at Kras-no-yarsk’. Amongst these are skins
of some species which I did not meet with in the valley of
the Yen-e-say’. Most of my collecting was done north of the
Arctic circle. Mr. Kibort’s skins were all obtained in the
immediate neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’, and illustrate the
ornithology of the valley of the Yen-e-say’ ten degrees further
south of the district where most of my observations were made.
I am also indebted to Mr. Meves, of Stockholm, for a report
upon the skins obtained by Dr. Théel in the valley of the Yen-
e-say’ in 1876. The latter gentleman conducted a scientific
expedition which went overland to Siberia, intending to meet
Professor Nordenskidld at the mouth of the great river.
Dr. Théel was able to reach lat. 70°; but his ornithological
booty, owing to the fact that it was principally obtained south
of the Arctic circle, contains many species which I did not
meet with. He has kindly allowed me to make use of the
report of Mr. Meves to supplement my contributions to the
ornithology of the valley of the Yen-e-say’.

Panpion HALIAETUS (Linn.).
Dr. Théel observed the Osprey fishing in the Yen-e-say’
in lat. 594° and 61°.

Fatco #saLon, Gmel.

When I was in the valley of the Yen-e-say’ I more than
once felt almost sure that I recognized the Merlm; but as I
did not succeed in obtaining a specimen, it was not included
in my first list. I have now the skin of a male in my col-
lection, obtained by Mr. Kibort near Kras-no-yarsk’. Dr.
Théel observed it frequently about lat. 70°, and obtained a
young bird in lat. 704°.

TINNUNCULUS VESPERTINUS (Linn.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of the Orange-legged

[79]

180 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

Hobby from Kras-no-yarsk’. They are of the European form,
and not of that obtained by Radde on the Amoor.

AsTUR PALUMBARIUS (Linn.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me a female Goshawk from Kras-
no-yarsk’.

Circus cineracevs (Mont.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me an adult male of Montagu’s Har-
rier from Kras-no-yarsk’.

SURNIA ULULA (Linn.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of a Hawk-Owl from Kras-
no-yarsk’. Dr. Théel informs me that he met with this
species at Luscinova, in lat. 684°.

NycraLa TENGMALMI (Gmel.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this Owl from Kras-
no-yarsk’.

SyRNIUM URALENSE (Pall.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me a fine male of the Ural Owl from
Kras-no-yarsk’. We might naturally have supposed that
it would be intermediate in colour between the European
bird and the Japanese subspecies fuscescens,Temm. On the
contrary, it differs quite as much from the European bird,
but in the opposite direction—the white parts being very
white, and the dark parts being very dark and grey, not
brown. A careful examination of the skins in the British
Museum and in Dresser’s and my own collections leads me
to the opinion that there is nothing in regard either of size
or colour that can entitle the Japanese bird to claim rank
even as a subspecies.

AsIo ACCIPITRINUS (Pall.).

When I was in the valley of the Yen-e-say’ I failed to
secure a specimen of the Short-eared Owl. Mr. Kibort has
now sent me two skins obtained near Kras-no-yarsk’.

Upupa rEpors, Linn.
Dr. Théel was told, on good authority, that the Hoopoe is
occasionally seen near Kras-no-yarsk’.
[80]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 181

Picus mMasor, Linn.
Dr. Théel found this species breeding near Yen-e-saisk’,
and met with it as far north as lat. 60°.

GercINuS caNnus (Gmel.).
Dr. Théel was told, on good authority, that a Green Wood-
pecker was found near Kras-no-yarsk’.

Picus prpra, Pall.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this species from Kras-
no-yarsk’. Dr. Théel informs me that he saw the Lesser
Spotted Woodpecker near where the Nish’-ni Tun-goosk’
joins the Yen-e-say’, in lat. 66°. The whole of the under-
parts are unspotted silky white, with the exception of the
under tail-coverts, which are slightly streaked with black.
The outside tail-feathers have two rudimentary cross bars.
The transverse bars on the back and rump are also nearly
obsolete. The wing measures 3°75 inches, and the tail 2°5.
This species is the Picus kamtschatkensis of Cabanis, Bona-
parte, Sundevall, and Malherbe. I have shot it at Arch-
angel and in the valley of the Petchora; and besides the skins
from Kras-no-yarsk’, I have seen skins from Lake Baical and
the Amoor, and have in my collection examples from the
islands of Sakhalin and Yezzo, north of Japan. Compared
with the South-European form, it is an excellent species. Spe-
cimens from Norway and Sweden are somewhat intermediate,
being as large as the Siberian form, but in the colour and
markings of the back and underparts scarcely differing from
the South-European form.

Picus Martius, Linn.

Dr. Théel was informed on good authority that the Black
Woodpecker is occasionally seen near Kras-no-yarsk’. He
met with it himself in lat. 59°.

Tynx rorquitia, Linn.

Dr. Théel was informed on good authority that the Wry-
neck is occasionally seen near Kras-no-yarsk’. He met with
it himself in lat. 594°.

[81]

182 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

Srurnus vuuearis, Linn.

Mr. Kibort sent me three skins of the Kras-no-yarsk’ Star-
ling. In the P. Z. S. 1878, p. 712, Dr. Finsch has described
a new species of Starling from the Chinese High Altai as
Sturnus poltaratskyi, and has incorrectly identified the skin I
brought from the Yen-e-say’ with it. He appears to be right
in advocating the distinctness of S. humii, Gould (fig. nec
descript.), from S. nitens, Hume, which latter species was sub-
sequently renamed (on the ground that the name S. nitens
had previously been applied to the Common Starling by
Brehm) S. ambiguus, Hume, and S. humii, Brooks. Finsch,
however, is wrong in identifying his species with S. humit,
Gould. After carefully examining all the skins in the British
Museum and in Dresser’s and my own collections, I have
come to the following conclusions :—

Sturnus purpurascens, Gould, may.at once be recognized
by its bronze-purple scapulars and wing-coverts, which in the
other species are green. The forehead and ear-coverts appear
also to be always bronze-purple. The fore neck is always
green, and the breast and belly purple, shading into bronze
on the flanks. The remaining parts appear to be subject to
variation. The crown, nape, and throat are usually mingled
bronze and green, occasionally pure bronze, and occasionally
pure green. The upper parts, from the hind neck downwards,
are purple in some skins from Eastern Asia Minor, which
may be taken as the extremeform. In others, however, from
the same locality, and from the Altai mountains and Nerth
Persia, these parts are green, in which plumage they are the
S. poltaratskyi of Finsch. . In the same localities, however,
in Asia Minor, in Yarkand, and in North-west India, every
intermediate form occurs ; so that the probability is that the
difference is due to age or individual variation. Gould’s type
is one of these intermediate forms.

Sturnus vulgaris, Linn., may at once be recognized by its
green scapulars and wing-coverts. The ear-coverts appear
also to be always green. The fore neck is always a reddish
purple, and the breast and belly green, shading into bluish
purple on the flanks. The crown, nape, and throat are sub-

[82]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 188

ject to the same variations as in the preceding species. The
upper parts, from the hind neck downwards, are entirely green
in skins from Beluchistan, South Persia, Behar, and from
Europe to India; but usually the upper back is more or less
reddish purple in skins from Europe, and Asia Minor ; and in
some European skins the upper parts, from the hind neck
downwards, are entirely reddish purple. In this case the
intermediate forms are S. vulgaris, Linn.; the green form is
S. humii, Gould nec Brooks, and consequently nameless,
whilst the reddish-purple form is fortunate enough to have
hitherto escaped the infliction of a name. In this case, as
in that of S. purpurascens, Gould, since differences of geo-
graphical distribution do not coincide with differences of
plumage, we may fairly refer the latter to age or individual
variation. In the Faroe Islands a form occurs with a longer
bill than usual (S. faroensis, Feilden), which may be worthy
of record as asubspecies. A slightly smaller form from the
Azores is worthy of honourable mention, but scarcely of the
bronze medal of subspecific rank.

Sturnus indicus, Hodgs., appears to me to be a fair species.
I take it to be Sturnus unicolor, Marmora, apud Jerdon, S.
nitens, Hume nec Brehm, S. ambiguus, Hume, S. humii,
Brooks, 8. humii, Gould, letterpress nec figure, and S. minor,
Hume. It is found in Scinde, Cashmere, and Nepal. It
appears to be a small race of S. vulgaris, Linn., having
the general colour of that bird, and subject to nearly
the same variations. The length of wing measures from
4°3 inches to 4°75. The lower back and rump are often -
green; but I have not yet met with a skin in which the
upper back was green. The flanks, however, appear to be
always green, whereas they seem to be always purple in the
common species.

The breast appears also to be always purple, whilst in S.
vulgaris the purple does not extend below the lower throat.
I take it to be a good species.

OrroLus GALBULA, Linn.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a male of this species from Kras-
[83]

184 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

no-yarsk’, the most easterly locality hitherto recorded of the
Golden Oriole.

LANIUs HOMEYERI, Cab.

Great differences of opinion appear to exist as to the number
of species into which the Grey Shrikes ought to be divided.
Dresser and Sharpe, in their “ Notes on Lanius excubitor
and its Allies” (P. Z.S. 1870, p. 590), recognized two Si-
berian species. Two skins from the Amoor, fortunately still
in the Swinhoe collection, were identified by these ornitho-
logists as adult and immature of Lanius lahtora (Sykes).
The adult bird is stated to be “ absolutely similar in every
respect”? (the italics are not mine) to examples of old L. ~
lahtora from the Punjab. The second Siberian species was
identified doubtfully, from Pallas’s description of L. major,
with the American L. borealis, Vieill. I think Dresser and
Sharpe were wrong in both their facts, but right in at least
one of their conclusions. The adult bird of the first species,
so far from being absolutely similar in every respect to L.
lahtora, differs from that species in having the general colour
of the upper parts considerably paler, and in wanting the
narrow black frontal line at the base of the bill. The im-
mature bird is what is generally recognized as L. major, Pall.,
which these writers professed never to have seen.

In the ‘ Journal fir Ornithologie’ (1873, p. 75) the sub-
ject is handled by Cabanis with that minute attention to
details so characteristic of the German mind, and two new
species are described, L. homeyeri and L. sphenocercus. In
addition L. major, Pall., is recognized as a Siberian bird. |

We may at once dismiss L. meridionalis, Temm., and L.
algeriensis, Less., as western forms, which have nothing to
do with Siberia. JL. lahtora, Sykes, seems to me to have no
better claim to be considered a Siberian bird. In the allied
species black hairs, apparently an extension of the rictal
bristles, are found on the forehead at the base of the bill; but
in L. lahtora, Sykes, more or less black feathers are found there
in addition, causing it to approach in this respect L. excubito-
roides, Swains., where these black feathers are still more

[34]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 185

developed. JL. lahtora, Sykes, is probably entirely confined
to India, where it breeds—though L. leucopygius, Hempr. apud
Severtz., from Turkestan, may prove to be this species. The
skin from the Amoor in the Swinhoe collection, which Sharpe
and Dresser incorrectly identified with L. lahtora, Sykes,
appears to me to be L. homeyeri, Cab., originally described
(Joc. cit.) from South Russia. Hence it passes eastwards
through Turkestan, where it has been described by Severtzoff as
L. leucopterus (Ibis, 1876, p. 184), to Central Siberia, whence
Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins obtained by him at Kras-
no-yarsk’ on the 18th of May and the 12th of August. ast-
wards it appears to be found near Lake Baical (Tacz. Journ.
f. Orn. 1874, p. 322) and onthe Amoor. In this species, as in
L. lahtora, Sykes, the secondaries are not only tipped with
white, but are always white on the basal half of both webs,
and some of them are always white on the entire inside web.
A third species having this peculiarity appears to be L. deal-
batus, Defil., from Algeria, Tunis, and Sennaar (fide skins in
the British Museum). This species appears to be interme-
diate in the colour of the upper parts between L. lahtora,
Sykes, and L. homeyeri, Cab., differing also from the former
in wanting the narrow black frontal line of feathers, and
from the latter in its smaller size and distinct geographical
range.

Lantus magor, Pall.

My immature bird from the Amoor is undistinguishable
from L. borealis, Vieill.; but I have seen an almost complete
series from it to L. excubitor, Linn. That the amount of
white at the base of both webs of the secondaries is not a
question of age, appears to me to be sufficiently proved by
the skin of a nestling from Baden in Dresser’s collection, in
which the white on the secondaries is as much developed as
in typical skins of fully adult LZ. excubitor, Linn. The only
explanation that I can suggest is that L. excubitor, Linn.., is
the western form, which in Europe may be said to be almost
pure-bred. In Asia it would appear to interbreed along the
whole line with L. borealis, Vieill., which becomes the pre-

[85]

186 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

vailing form in East Siberia. In America probably only
pure-bred L. borealis, Vieill., occurs ; whilst in Asia pure-
bred birds of both species, and every possible cross and inter-
cross between them, are to be found.

Another species allied to L. excubitor, Linn., appears to
be L. fallax, Finsch, differing in being somewhat smaller in
size, darker in the colour of the upper parts, and in having
the white on the primaries and sccondaries more developed
but nevertheless not extending over the entire inside webs of
any of the secondaries. Dresser and Sharpe apparently in-
clude this species in their L. lahtora, Sykes ; but it does not
seem to possess the narrow black frontal line. From skins
in the British Museum and in Dresser’s collection I conclude
the geographical range of L. fallax, Finsch, to be Abyssinia,
Nubia, Egypt, Palestine, Euphrates valley, Baluchistan, and_
the Punjaub, in which latter district it is found in company
with L. lahtora, Sykes. I strongly suspect that the “ ZL. leu-
copygius, Hempr.” apud Severtz., will also prove to be L.
fallax, Finsch, since the skin which Finsch brought from the
_ Irtish appears to be of the latter species, though larger in size
_ . than usual. Since the geographical ranges of all the Grey
Shrikes more or less overlap each other, | should not be sur-
prised to learn that in many cases where two forms inhabit
the same district they habitually interbreed. In that case
one of the forms thus interbreeding would have to be de-
graded to the rank of a subspecies ; but until intermediate :
forms are found, we must, I think; consider them as closely
allied but distinct species, and not lump three or four of them |
together, as Sharpe and Dresser appear to me to have done.

Lantus sPHENOCERCUs, Cab.

This Shrike is fairly figured in David and Oustalet’s ‘Oiseaux
de la Chine,’ plate 76. It. appears to breed in Eastern Siberia
(Tacz. Journ. f. Orn. 1876, p. 198), to pass through Mongolia
onmigration (Prjev. Rowl. Orn. Mise. ii. p. 273),and to winter
in China (David et Oustal. Ois. Chine, p. 93).

Lanius cristatus, Linn.
Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of the adult: and two
[86]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 187

skins in the immature plumage of this species. Dr. Theél
obtained eggs of this bird. I take it to be the L. phenicurus |
of Pallas, and the LZ. superciliosus of Latham.

GARRULUS BRANDTI, Eversm.

This very handsome and rare Jay appears to be very com-
mon in the neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’. Mr. Kibort
has sent me numerous skins.

PeRtsoREUS INFAUSTUS (Linn.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins of the Siberian Jay from
Kras-no-yarsk’. . Dr. Theél informs me that he met with this
species at various stations on the Yen-e-say’ up to the Arctic
circle.

Uxacus sipiricus (Linn.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of this brilliantly
plumaged bird from the neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’.
Dr. Theél obtained it at Yen-e-saisk’.

CaRDUELIS ORIENTALIS, Eversm.
Mr. Kibort has sent me a fine male of this species from
Kras-no-yarsk’.

CoccoTHRAUSTES VULGARIS, Pall.

_ Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins of the Hawfinch from
Kras-no-yarsk’. They agree exactly with others from Asia —

Minor and Japan. .

Loxia curvirostra, Linn.
Mr. Kibort has:sent me two skins of the common Crossbill
from Kras-no-yarsk’.

Loxta prrascrata, Brehm.
Dr. Theél informs me that he met with small parties of
this species between Kras-no-yarsk’ and Yen-e-saisk’.

FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA, Linn.
Dr. Theél informed me that he saw two examples of this
species in lat. 59° on the 26th of June.

Passer mMontTantvs (Linn.).

Dr. Theél informed me that he saw the Tree-Sparrow as
far north as lat. 60°.

[87]

188 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

EMBERIZA SPODOCEPHALA, Pall.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this species from the
neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’. Dr. Theél also obtained it
there and at Asinova, in lat. 61°.

EMBERIZA AUREOLA, Pall.

Mr. Kibort has sent me the nest and eggs of this species
from Kras-no-yarsk’.

EmBERIZA PUSILLA, Pall.

Dr. Theél obtained this species in lat. 65° on the 13th of
July.

Emperiza ciorpes, Brandt.

I have received seventeen skins of this handsome Bunting
in autumn plumage, and two skins in breeding-plumage,
from Kras-no-yarsk’. In both plumages the ear-coverts are
deep reddish brown, instead of black as in its Japanese ally,
E. ciopsis, Bp. All the skins of E. ciopsis, Bp., from Japan
which I have seen in collections in this country have black
ear-coverts ; but in the Leyden museum both species are
labelled as coming from Japan.

ALAUDA ARVENSIS, Linn.

Mr. Kibort has sent me several skins of the Sky-Lark
from the neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’. They all appear
to be identical with our European species, and differ from
the Japanese form in being paler on the upper parts.

ALAUDA PISPOLETTA, Pall.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this species from Kras-
no-yarsk’.

ANTHUS CERVINUS, Pall.

This species was first met with by Dr. Theél on the 25th of
July in lat. 69°, which is probably the southern limit of its
range in the breeding-season.

ANTHUS TRIvIALIS (Linn.).

Dr. Theél found this species as far north as lat. 69°.

ANTHUS GoDLEWskII (Tacz.), Bull. Soc. Zool. France 1876,

p. 158.
Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins, obtained near Kras-no-
[$8]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 189

yarsk', which appear to be the same form as Taczanowski’s
new species obtained by Dr. Dybowsky near Lake Baical and
by Prjevalsky in Alaschan, in Chinese Mongolia. This
species seems to me to be a good one. It is nearly allied to
A. campestris, but is decidedly smaller and darker in colour
on the upper parts.

Antuvs macutatus, Hodgs.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this Pipit, which differs
from the Tree-Pipit in beg much greener on the upper
parts and somewhat more spotted on the underparts.

Moracrita ruava, Linn.
I am unable to distinguish skins of this species obtained at
Kras-no-yarsk’ from skins collected in Holland.

Moracinya personata, Gould.

Dr. Theél informed me that he did not see this Wagtail
further north than lat. 59°. <A few versts further north its
place was taken by ™. alba.

Moraci.ia MELANOPE, Pall.
Dr. Theél informed me that he found this species breeding
in lat. 59°.

Moracinxs crirreona, Pall.

Dr. Theél informed me that he first met with this species
in lat. 65°, on the llth of July, where it was doubtless
breeding at or near its southern limit in summer.

AMPELIS GARRULA, Linn.

I did not succeed in shooting a specimen of the Waxwing
in the valley of the Yen-e-say’; but Mr. Kibort has sent me
three skins from Kras-no-yarsk’, and Dr. Theél informs me
that he found this species common in several localities.

Parus cyanus, Pall.
I have received three skins of this bird from Kras-no-
yarsk’.

ACREDULA cauDATA (Linn.).
The Long-tailed Tit appears to be common in the neigh-
bourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’. Mr. Kibort has sent me
[39]

190 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

eight skins. The Siberian form is very beautiful, and almost
entitled to rank as a subspecies. The entire bead and neck
are pure white. The whole of the inside webs of the innermost
secondaries are also pure white. In the British and Central-
European forms the white on the wing is much less developed;
but intermediate forms are not uncommon in North Europe.
Dr. Theél informs me that he saw this species as far north
as lat. 59°. ;

CINCLUS LEUCOGASTER, Bonap.

Bonaparte, in his ‘Conspectus’ (1. p. 252), ascribes this
name to Eversmann; but I have been unable to find a
reference to any publication of the name earlier than that of
Bonaparte. Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins of a Dipper
from the neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk', which I presume
must belong to this species. Both are males; and both were
shot on the same day, the 17th of November. The head
and nape are sooty brown, much darker than in C. albicollis,
and not so rufous as in C. aquaticus. The underparts of one
skin agree with those of C. melanogaster ; but in the other
the white on the breast extends further down, and instead of
being sharply divided from the sooty black of the belly it
gradually shades into it, passing through the various shades
of greyish brown. The genus Cinclus presents many dif-
ficulties. | Dresser, in his ‘ Birds of Europe,’ adds little
or nothing to the facts collected by Salvin in ‘The Ibis’
of 1867, p. 109 et seg. I fail to be able to draw the
distinction which Salvin does between local races and re-
presentative species. If he were to examine the additional
material which has come to hand since his article was
written, I think he would agree with me that his local races
are those of which he possessed a large series, whilst of. his
representative species he was only able to obtain access to one
or two skins. So far as I can see, there is only one species of
Palearctic White-throated Dipper, of which the typical form
inhabits Central and Southern Siberia, North India, Tur-
kestan, Persia, and Asia Minor, and will probably stand as
C. cashmiriensis, Gould. In East Siberia every intermediate

[90]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 191

form occurs between this and C. leucogaster, Bonap., the
extreme type of which has the underparts white throughout.
In Europe three subspecies have apparently established them-
selves:—C. melanogaster, Brehm, in the north, in which
the dark parts are intensified in colour and a shade of rufous
is observable on the head and nape; C. aguaticus, Bechst, in
Central Europe, in which the rufous shade appears on
the belly also; and C. albicollis, Vieill., in Southern Europe,
in which the head and nape are paler brown than in the typical
species.

TuRDUs opscuRus, Gmel.
Dr. Theél informed me that he obtained a specimen of this
Thrush as far north as lat. 68°.

Turpvus sipiricus, Pall.

Dr. Theél informed me that the great breeding-place of
this beautiful and rare Thrush is in the neighbourhood of
Toor-o-kansk’, about lat. 66°. He did not observe it further
north than E-gar’-ka, in lat. 67°.

Turpus Musicus, Linn.

Mr. Kibort has sent. me both adult and young in first
plumage of the Song-Thrush. From the presence of the
latter we may, I think, safely infer that this bird breeds near
Kras-no-yarsk’. I am not aware of any instance on record
of any Thrush migrating before moulting.

Routici~La PH@NIcuURUSs (Linn.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of the Common Redstart
from the neighbourhood of Kras-no-yarsk’'—a male in
breeding-plumage ; so that no doubt can now attach to the
easterly range of this species.

CyaNEcULA suEcica (Linn.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of this species, from Kras-
no-yarsk', in the spotted plumage of the young before |
migration, whence I conclude that the Bluethroat occa-
sionally breeds as far south as lat. 56°.

[or]

192. Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. -

SAXICOLA ISABELLINA, Riipp.
Mr. Kibort has sent me two skins of this Chat from Kras-
no-yarsk’.

Muscicapa erisona, Linn.
Mr. Kibort has sent me four skins of the Spotted Fly-
catcher obtained near Kras-no-yarsk’.

Muscicapa PARVA, Bechst.
Dr. Theél obtained a female of this species in lat. 613°.

ALSEONAX LATIROSTRIS (Raffil.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of this Flycatcher
from Kras-no-yarsk’.

ARUNDINAX AEDON (Pall.).
Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins, from the neighbour-
hood of Kras-no-yarsk’, of this interesting bird.

Hypoxais caticata (Eversm.).

Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of this species from
Kras-no-yarsk’. I think there can be little doubt that this
bird is the Motacilla salicaria ot Pallas. Dr. Theél obtained
a specimen in lat. 61°.

Puy.ioscorus Fruscatus, Blyth.
Dr. Theél found this species as far north as lat. 59°.

PHYLLOscoPUS TROCHILUS (Linn.).

The name of this species does not occur in the list of skins,
identified by Mr. Meves, obtained on the Swedish expedition.
I found it plentiful in the valley of the Yen-e-say’.

LocusTELLA CERTHIOLA (Pall.). _
Dr. Theél obtained an adult bird of this species in lat. 62°.

AcROCEPHALUS DUMETORUM, Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xviii. p. 815.

Mr. Kibort has sent me several skins of this bird from
Kras-no-yarsk’. Dr. Theél describes it as common between
that town and Yen-e-saisk’; He found it breeding in
lat. 59°, and obtained a nest with two eggs. Mr. Meves
describes the eggs as similar to those of Locustella nevia,
having a pale rust-red ground-colour, with many greyish-red
spots.

[92]

¥

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 198

CypsEtus apus (Linn.).

Dr. Theél informs me that he observed the Swift abundant
at Kras-no-yarsk’ and Yen-e-saisk’. He afterwards observed
it in lat. 60°, and again in lat. 654°.

CAPRIMULGUS EUROPzAUS, Linn.

Mr. Kibort has sent me the skin of a female Goatsucker
from Kras-no-yarsk’. Dr. Theél recognized its peculiar note
in lat. 59°.

ALCEDo IsPipA, Linn.
Dr. Theél informs me that he saw a Kingfisher near Kras-
no-yarsk’.

CoLuMBA PALUMBUS, Linn.
Dr. Theél was informed on good authority that the Ring-
Dove occasionally occurs near Kras-no-yarsk’.

CoLuMBA @Nas, Linn.

Dr. Theél was informed that the Stock-Dove is occasionally
found near Kras-no-yarsk’. He saw a bird which he took to
be this species at Nasimova, in lat. 594°.

CotuRNIx comMMUNIS, Bonnat.

Mr. Kibort has sent me a skin of the common Quail from
Kras-no-yarsk’; and Dr. Theél heard its unmistakable note
in lat. 61°.

STREPSILAS INTERPRES, Linn.
Dr. Theél observed this species in lat. 704°.

/KGIALITES CURONICA (Gmel.).
Dr. Theél found this species breeding at Yen-e-saisk’, and
observed it as far north as lat. 604°.

Crex PRATENSIS, Bechst.
Dr. Theél observed the Corn-crake at Kras-no-yarsk’ and
as far north as lat. 594°.

Toranus Fuscus (Linn.).
Dr. Theél observed this species about lat. 69°, and obtained
a young bird.
[93]

+x

194 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia.

CaALIDRIS ARENARIA (Linn.).
Numerous flocks of this species were seen by the Swedish
Expedition of 1875 at the mouth of the Yen-e-say’.

TRINGA TEMMINCKI, Leisl.

This species was first met with by Dr. Theél on the 22nd
of July, in lat. 654°, which probably represents the southern
limit of its breeding-range.

ANAS BoscHas, Linn.
Dr. Theél observed the Mallard up to He 60°.

Fuxicuca cristata (Leach).
Dr. Theél shot a Tufted Duck in lat. 68°.

C(ipEemia Fusca (Linn.).
Dr. Theél observed the Velvet Scoter in lat. 69° and 694°,

STERNA LONGIPENNIS, Nordm.
Dr. Theél obtained a Tern in lat. 68°, which Mr. Meves '
has identified as belonging to this species.

In my first paper on the ornithology of Siberia, I fear that
I scarcely did justice to Prjevalsky. It appears that I was
misinformed as to the scientific knowledge of ornithology
possessed by this great traveller. His fame as an explorer of
almost unknown districts of Central Asia, however, is so
great that it almost obscures the fact that he has added very
largely to our knowledge of the ornithology of that interesting
region.

I may also take this opportunity of expressing my pro-
found regret at the untimely death of my friend, Valerian
von Russow. He had been engaged for some months in an
ornithological expedition in Turkestan. Just before his
return home I had a letter from him, dated Samarcand,
telling me of his success; the next intelligence I received
was that he had died of smallpox within a week of his arrival
in St. Petersburg. In Russow ornithology has lost an
enthusiastic field-naturalist, who was rapidly acquiring the
scientific knowledge of birds which can only be attained
where large series of skins are available for comparison.

[94]

Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 195

His position in the St.-Petersburg Museum is now filled by
Modeste Bogdanow, who has lately published a work on the
Birds of the Caucasus, and whose recently issued article on
the Birds of the Black-earth Zone of the Volga and its Central
and Lower valleys contains some excellent field-notes.

[95]

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Grow, Hooded, -358

Cuckoo,(Sib).,- 326
DUCK--- Pintail,160
Golden,eye, 160

Dun?

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Gull ,Mew, 161

Siberian, 162

‘ipit, (Red-throut) 432

Ptarm igan ,(R ock, )I48

Nutcracker , 333

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