FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 201 



lak ; and at Seguam we counted 138 and noted others. The Aleuts 

 said that they nest at Amlia Island. Turner (1886) reports 

 seeing them at Nazan Bay, Atka Island, and he obtained three 

 specimens there, which were brought in by natives from the base 

 of Korovinsky Volcano. Laing (1925) obtained specimens at 

 Atka and reports "about a hundred" in Kuluk Bay, Adak Is- 

 land, on April 11. In 1940, Gabrielson also recorded the species 

 on Atka, where he obtained a specimen, and he saw several 

 hundred between Carlisle and Kagamil islands. 



Still farther west, we found a few of these birds at Little 

 Tanaga; we observed 11 at Umak, about 100 at Aso, about 6 near 

 Igitkin, two or three at Ulak, and saw 5 at Chugul. They nest on 

 Kasatochi, and the natives assured us that they also nest on 

 nearby Koniuji. We found a few at Gareloi, and saw three at 

 Ulak (179° W.) ; the Aleuts reported them to be nesting on 

 Segula (or Chugul), near Kiska. 



Turner reported the whiskered auklet "quite abundant" in the 

 Near Islands (1886), and Nelson agrees, evidently on the basis 

 of Turner's report. However, we saw none in the Near Islands, 

 and it is probable that this bird, as well as other species, has 

 decreased in numbers since the time of Turner's observations. 

 Stejneger (1885) found these birds nesting commonly on Copper 

 Island and saw a few on Bering Island. 



In 1936, we observed about 1,000 whiskered auklets during 

 the season, and we estimated that there would be at least 2,000 

 in the Aleutians, though this figure could prove to be ridiculously 

 low. 



Nesting 



The nesting habits of the whiskered auklet are the same as 

 those of the least auklet. According to the natives, this species 

 also winters in the Aleutians and, as is the habit of the least 

 auklet, it enters the rocky crevices to roost, thus being subjected 

 to blue-fox depredations. Fortunately, the principal nesting is- 

 lands for this species have now been withdrawn from fox farming. 



Food Habits 



Stejneger (1885) reported that these birds feed mainly on 

 gammarids. 



Of 5 stomachs collected in June 1936, and reported upon by 

 Cottam and Knappen (1939), 3 stomachs contained copepods 

 (Xanthocalanus sp.) exclusively. Another stomach contained 60 

 percent soft-bodied crustaceans (amphipods, isopods, and cope- 

 pods) ; 40 percent of one fish (Scorpaenidae) ; and a trace of 

 spider. The fifth stomach contained 10 percent of unidentified 



