FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 207 



Cahn reported it — 



Rare on Unalaska Island but present in the uninhabited and rugged interior. 

 On January 22, 1943, I saw a male that had been shot near Pyramid Moun- 

 tain; on February 5, 1945, I saw another male shot near Unalaska village. 

 During the war, men stationed on Bogoslof Island, 40 miles northward of 

 Dutch Harbor in the Bering Sea, shot three during the winter of 1943. 



The Attu chief told us that it nests on Attu. 



Stejneger, writing in 1885 of the Commander Islands, said that 

 the snowy owl, which formerly was considered to be rare (though 

 nesting), was now becoming common. He stated that it has in- 

 creased in numbers after the introduction of mice. Nine stomachs 

 contained only arvicolae, and one stomach contained bird remains. 



Although we did not see the snowy owl in the Alaska Penin- 

 sula and Aleutian Islands, it is evident from the records that it 

 visits the region, especially in winter, and that it may nest in the 

 Near Islands, and possibly in the Shumagins. 



Surnia ulula: Hawk-Owl 

 Surnia ulula caparoch 



The hawk-owl is fairly common in the wooded portions of the 

 base of Alaska Peninsula, where Osgood collected several speci- 

 mens (1904) in the following localities: at the head of Lake 

 Clark (an immature bird) ; at the mouth of Chulitna River; and 

 at a locality a few miles above the mouth of Chulitna River. He 

 also mentions a specimen taken by McKay, on the Aleknagik, 

 and four specimens taken by Johnson, at Nushagak. Cahalane 

 observed several of these owls at Mount Kalolinat and other 

 localities in the Katmai region in September 1940. Friedmann 

 (1935) records a number of specimens and eggs taken on Kodiak 

 Island, and Gabrielson also obtained specimens there. Howell 

 (1948) obtained a specimen at Kodiak Island, June 6, 1944, which 

 contained developing eggs. All of these localities are typical 

 nesting habitat for the hawk-owl. 



Farther west, sightings of the hawk-owl would be accidental, 

 and no records of such sightings have been found. 



Ash flammeus: Short-eared Owl 

 Asio flammeus flammeus 



Attu : Too-too-tooch 

 Atka: Too-too-tuch 



The short-eared owl is a common breeding bird at least as far 

 west as Unalaska. Skins and eggs have been collected on Kodiak 

 Island (Friedmann 1935) . We saw 1 on Ushagat, Barren Islands, 



