FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 145 



Wetmore, in his field report for 1911, says: "The males have 

 a trilling note, almost a whinny that is hard to describe. Also a 

 quick musical whistled turdle turdle, on the Carolina wren order." 



The first signs of flocking were noted early in July. On July 5, 

 1937, a group of 3 adults was observed flying along the beach on 

 Amchitka Island, and, from July 10 to July 20, 5 or 6 were 

 seen in groups several times. On July 24, 1925, two immature 

 birds were collected at Izembek Bay, and several flocks were seen. 

 On July 29, 1937, flocks of 40 or more were seen on Ogliuga Is- 

 land ; after July 29, they generally were seen in flocks. 



Erolia ptilocnemis quarta 



Russian, Commander Islands: Lajdinij kulik (Stejneger) 



Ernst Hartert (1920) described quarta from the Commander 

 Islands and said — 



The purple sandpiper of the Commander Islands differs from E.m.couesi 

 from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands as follows: 'In the winter plumage 

 the foreneck and jugulum are darker slate-colour and less mixed with white. 

 In the full summer plumage the edges to the feathers of the upperside are 

 much wider and of a brighter ferruginous, so that the upperside looks quite 

 rust-red, with mostly concealed black centers to the feathers. The wings 

 measure 121-127, in one female even 130 mm.' 



In the series from the Commander Islands (in the U. S. Na- 

 tion Museum), 6 males and 5 females measure, in millimeters, as 

 follows : 



Males: wing, 117-129 (121) ; exposed culmen, 25.5-28.5 (27). 



Females: wing, 120-126.5 (122.8); exposed culmen, 27.5-33 

 (29.5) 

 These measurements easily fall within the size range of couesi. 



While it is true that quarta is essentially a Siberian form, there 

 are a number of records for Alaska. A. C. Bent (1927) reported 

 these birds, at least one of which was a breeding bird, from 

 Attu Island. Two specimens in the U. S. National Museum, Nos. 

 131763 and 131764 (probably the ones mentioned by Bent), as- 

 suredly are quarta. Another Attu specimen, No. 201468, is very 

 similar to the less brightly colored specimens from the Com- 

 mander Islands. There is another specimen, No. 298506, from 

 Izembek Bay, Alaska Peninsula, that is very similar to quarta 

 and is practically identical with a specimen from St. Lawrence 

 Island, No. 165056. Another specimen, No. 230608, from Morzho- 

 voi Bay, has the coloration of quarta. Moreover, Bailey (1943) 

 records two specimens from Cape Prince of Wales, taken June 6, 

 1922, that were identified as quarta. 



