28 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 61, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Without doubt, the Aleut language will disappear, and it is 

 worthwhile to record the names that these people applied to the 

 species in their native fauna. Too often, the professional ethnolo- 

 gist obtains only the obvious and generalized terms applied to a 

 fauna; however, primitive societies clearly distinguish various 

 species, almost as precisely as the scientist. 



Family GAVIIDAE 

 Gavia immer: Common Loon 



Attu: Kah-goo-gich 

 Atka: Kri-guch 

 Qigux (Jochelson) 



The common loon, often observed on salt water in winter and 

 in migration, usually is found nesting in interior lakes and ponds 

 rather than in coastal marshes, but it also breeds throughout the 

 Aleutian district. In this connection it is interesting to note that 

 it does not occur in the Pribilofs. 



Bones of this loon have been identified from Kodiak Island and 

 from Little Kiska (Friedmann, 1935, 1937). A specimen was 

 taken by Bretherton on Kodiak (1896), and the bird was re- 

 ported by Chapman at Seldovia (June 30, 1903). Dall (1873) 

 reports a "Colymbus torquatus" at Simeonof Island, in the 

 Shumagins, on September 2, 1873, and further reports (1874) 

 that it breeds on Kiska and is abundant on Amchitka. On July 

 23, 1925, I noted a pair of common loons, probably nesting, on a 

 pond near Izembek Bay, near the west end of Alaska Peninsula. 



In 1936, our party saw one of these birds (probably a migrant) 

 on May 11, near Ushagat Island of the Barren Islands group, and 

 on May 23, in Nushagak Bay, we saw six or more. The greatest 

 number of these loons was found on Adak Island, though we also 

 saw them on Amchitka, Kanaga, and Kiska. In 1937, at least 3 

 pairs were found on Agattu, and on June 17 of that year we 

 found at least 2 pairs on Semichi Islands, each with 2 small downy 

 young. In this instance, when we disturbed the adults, a glaucous- 

 winged gull swooped down and carried off one of the young. 



Dall reported that the common loon does not winter in the 

 Aleutians, and Mike Hodikoff, chief of Attu Village, stated that 

 it arrives at Attu Island in April and departs in October. How- 

 ever, during the years 1940 and 1946, Gabrielson found these 

 loons on various islands as far west as Atka in midwinter, and 

 in early spring and summer they were "common" or "plentiful' 

 in numerous localities throughout the entire Aleutian district. 



