CHAPTER IX. 



OPt^^lTHOLOGY or THE PKYBILOV ISLANDS. 



By Dh. Elliott Coues, U. 8. A. 

 (Bosed on Mr. II. W. ElUoV's manuscripts and coUcctions.*) 



Mr. Elliott's manuscripts and specimens Laving been sub- 

 mitted to me for elaboration in the present connection, an 

 account of the birds of the islands is herewith rendered. His 

 collections furnish the data for most of the technical portions 

 of the memoir^ while the biographical notices are, in substance, 

 his own 5 these are placed between quotation-marks. The 

 nomenclature and sequence of the species are adapted to the 

 present paper from the latest systematic work upon American 

 ornithology, the author's " Key to Xorth American Birds,'' in 

 which may be found a diagnosis of each species and variety 

 not herewith described. The numeral prefix of each species is 

 that which it bears in the author's "Check-List of Xorth Amer- 

 ican Birds." 



With the scientific names are given the English, and, in gen- 

 eral, the Eussiau equivalents— the latter between quotation- 

 marks. In most cases the synonyms and references of special 

 pertinence are added. 



GENEKAL EEMAKKS OX THE BIRDS OF THE ISLA^fDS. 



"While a few species of water-fowl come to these islands in 

 innumerable numbers for the purpose of breeding, yet tbe list 

 of birds to be met with here is a small one. It is, however, of 

 exceeding interest to tbe naturalist, comprising many desiderata 

 scarcely obtainable elsewhere. 



"Over fifteen miles of the bold, high, basaltic, bluft' shore- 

 line of Saint George's Island is ftiirly covered with hundreds of 

 thousands of nesting gulls (Rlssa) and arries, {Uria^) while 



*The scientilic readers of this report will, I am sure, approve of the refer- 

 ence of rny MSS. to Dr. Coues for elaboration, as tbe revision of synouomy 

 has become a serious matter iu regard to the uomeuclature of uatural scieuce, 

 and, already, too many writers have added to existing confusion in this 

 respect by attempting to do that which others thfin themselves ore much 

 better qualified for. — H. W. E. 



