FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 97 



appear to be agile on the wing and is present everywhere. Prob- 

 ably the great variety of "sea birds" attract the eagle's attention 

 more readily. 



Gulls and ravens are another potent factor in stabilizing the 

 eider population, because they prey on the eggs and young. The 

 raven is included here solely on the basis of fragmentary ob- 

 servations elsewhere. But the glaucous-winged gull was observed 

 at times to be active in raiding eider nests. There is an interest- 

 ing relationship here that has been noted frequently. Gulls and 

 eiders often nest on the same area. Presumably, this should give 

 the gulls a better chance to rob the nests of their duck neighbors ; 

 however, it does not appear to be that simple, and the situation 

 deserves careful study. Assuredly, upon entering such a mixed 

 nesting colony, one finds a number of eider nests already rifled ; 

 yet, many others have not been disturbed. It is noticeable that 

 human intrusion, which forces the eiders to leave hurriedly with- 

 out covering the eggs, gives a splendid opportunity to the first 

 passing gull, and the gulls readily take advantage of it. 



In 1925, in Izembek Bay, I found eiders nesting in the midst 

 of a gull colony and found others nesting in a colony of terns. 

 All these birds seek the same type of nesting terrain, regard- 

 less of neighborly problems. During that season, an effort was 

 made to reduce the hazard for nesting eiders by carefully cover- 

 ing the disturbed nest with down, just as the bird would have 

 done. So far as the results could be observed, this method was 

 effective. One will sometimes find gull and eider nests in amaz- 

 ingly close proximity, apparently with no detriment to the eider. 



After being hatched, the small duckling still faces danger 

 from the gulls. A number of decimated broods were seen, and 

 sometimes, as observed at Ogliuga Island, several families then 

 join together in a band. 



But in spite of all these nesting hazards, the eiders hold their 

 own — they occupy the entire Aleutian district in fair numbers 

 and are plentiful enough to utilize whatever nesting sites are 

 available to them. 



Somateria spectabilis: King Eider 



Attu: Sakh'-uch 



Sdkux (Jochelson) 

 Russian and Yukat, latitudes of the Yana: Turkan (Pleske) 

 Chukchi: Jekadlin (Palmen) 



Information on the king eider is incomplete. We know that it 

 spends the winter among the Aleutian Islands, the Shumagins, 

 along the Alaska Peninsula, and as far east as Kodiak, where 



