FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 53 



on May 11, 1936. On May 7, 1936, we had seen several of these 

 birds on Chisik Island, in Tuxedni Bay, Cook Inlet, obviously 

 preparing to nest. C. J. Rhode noted a colony of about 50 

 cormorants on islands of Skilak Lake, Kenai Peninsula. Identifica- 

 tion was uncertain, but it is probable that these were double- 

 crested cormorants. 



Osgood (1904) recorded this cormorant nesting on islands of 

 Iliamna Lake. He saw them flying up and down Nogheling 

 River, and several were seen on Lake Clark (one specimen taken) ; 

 however, he believed few, if any, nested on that lake. He states 

 that from the Mulchatna River near the mouth of the Tikchick to 

 Nushagak these cormorants were seen daily, but not in great 

 numbers. Again, he saw several on Becharof Lake, October 4 to 7, 

 1902. 



Cahalane (1944) observed cormorants, "presumably all of this 

 species" (double-crested), rather commonly in the Katmai region 

 of the Alaska Peninsula in 1940, and he reported them in 

 September on Naknek River, on Naknek Lake, at the south shore 

 of Iliuk Arm, at the mouth of Savanoski River, on Brooks River, 

 and on Brooks Lake. By September 27 and 28, they were 

 relatively scarce on Naknek Lake and River. On the Pacific side, 

 he reported them to be much more numerous and recorded them 

 as "common to abundant" in the bays of the Katmai coast, 

 October 4 to 7. 



On July 23, 1940, Gabrielson noted 1 or 2 double-crested 

 cormorants on the Kvichak River, and on July 25, he reported 

 2 more on Iliamna Lake. In the same season, he also noted 

 them at the Semidi Islands. 



On August 29, 1936, we saw at least two double-crested cor- 

 morants near Simeonof Island, in the Shumagin group. They 

 probably nest among those islands. On May 16 and 17, 1928, 

 F. L. Jaques (1930) saw cormorants, which he thought to be this 

 species, near the Shumagins and near Belkofski. 



The largest colony of this cormorant was found by the writer 

 in 1925, in Isanotski Strait, at the extreme tip of Alaska Penin- 

 sula. On the larger of the two Isanotski Islands, which was 

 not over 150 yards long, there were at least 25 nests in a close 

 group on a grassy slope. On July 27 the nests contained from 

 2 to 5 eggs, but usually there were 4 or 5. A specimen was 

 collected. It is interesting to note that Beals and Longworth, 

 on June 10, 1941, 16 years later, stated in their field report that 

 "Small colony of 50 or more birds nesting on the most northerly 

 of the two Isanotski Islands." 



