130 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 6 1 , FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



It is not impossible that cranes nested occasionally on flat, 

 lake-strewn Agattu Island. 



Hartert (1920) records two adult specimens, a male and a fe- 

 male, from the Commander Islands, and states that they probably 

 visit that area from time to time. 



Family RALLIDAE 



Fulica americana: American Coot 

 Fulica americana americana 



The only record of this bird was obtained by Gabrielson. On 

 December 10, 1943, John Gardner, of False Pass, observed this 

 bird in a small stream near his home. It remained for several 

 days and appeared to be sick; on December 15, it was killed by a 

 dog. The head, wings, and feet were saved for identification. 

 Residents of the community had never seen a coot there before. 



Family HAEMATOPODIDAE 

 Haematopus bachmani: Black Oys+ercatcher 



Attu : He-gich 



Hekh (Turner) 

 Atka: Hech 



Hegis (Turner) 

 Unalaska: Hekh (Turner) 



Hckli (Clark) 

 Russian: Morskoi Ptookh, "Sea Cock" (Turner) 



(The variations in native names are unquestionably due to individual speech mannerisms, 

 and represent the same name in all dialects.) 



Speaking of Hae??iatnpus osculans, Stejneger (1885) says, 



The Russians of Kamtschatka apply to this bird especially the name 

 Ptuschok (pi. "Petuschki") , a chicken, a term used for Sijnorhynchns 

 pygmaeus by the natives of Bering Island, for Leucosticte griseonucha by 

 those living on the Prybilof Islands (according to H. W. Elliott), and to 

 other birds in different parts of the vast empire where the Russian tongue 

 is spoken. 



It would not be surprising, then, to have this name appear, var- 

 iously applied, in western Alaska. 



The black oystercatcher breeds commonly from Kodiak Island 

 westward for the length of Alaska Peninsula, especially on 

 islands. We recorded one at Chignik, but we did not record the 

 species on the shore of Alaska Peninsula. On May 11, 1936, one 

 was found on Ushagat (Barren Islands), and we observed them 

 also on Kodiak Island. 



