FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 95 



Aleutian chain and are as universally distributed as the western 

 harlequin duck, though not so abundant. Apparently, they are 

 not plentiful on the Commander Islands, for Stejneger (1887) 

 says that they breed in "very limited numbers in a few places 

 on Copper Island, only occasionally flying over to Bering Island, 

 round the shore of which a few may be seen in winter." 



In the Aleutians, we saw these birds in small groups, generally 

 paired, and they nest, or try to nest, throughout the Aleutian 

 chain. Blue-fox raising has seriously interfered with nesting, on 

 certain islands. 



Nesting of common eiders was determined for the following 

 islands : 



Attu — quite a number nesting on rocky islets in Massacre Bay. 



Agattu — preparing to nest. 



Semichi — nesting on islets in a lake. 



Buldir — nesting on the beach (no foxes present). 



Chugul, Little Kiska, Kiska — nesting reported by Wetmore in 

 1911. 



Amchitka — nesting on offshore rocks and preparing to nest on 

 beach. 



Ogliuga — plentiful, many young birds seen. 



Aiktak, Kavalga, Ulak, and Tanaga — nesting reported by Gab- 

 rielson. 



Little Tanaga, Kanaga, Adak, Aso, Igitkin, Salt, Atka, Chu- 

 ginadak. 



Baby Islands — nesting on Adokt and Excelsior (no foxes pres- 

 ent). 



These are the nestings actually observed. The birds were ob- 

 served at many other islands, where they were probably nesting. 

 Were it not for the predations of introduced blue foxes, they 

 undoubtedly would nest on practically all islands. 



In 1925, I found nesting groups in Izembek Bay, Alaska Penin- 

 sula (particularly on Glen Island and islets near Point Grant), 

 as well as on a gull island far out in the bay. On May 22, 1936, 

 we found flocks of common eiders in Nelson Lagoon, and in one 

 place I counted 111 males on the beach. Residents said that they 

 nest abundantly on some grass-covered sand islands there. Os- 

 good (1901) mentions a young bird and a set of eggs secured 

 by T. H. Bean in July 1880 at Chugachik Bay (Kachemak Bay). 

 In 1936, we saw them in Ugashik River, but we did not remain 

 long enough to determine their nesting status. 



Thus, we have a fairly accurate and continuous record of 

 nesting from Bristol Bay westward to Attu Island. 



