PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. gl 



liancy or beauty of their plumage, or by the melody 

 of their note. The birds of prey are the black vul- 

 ture (vultus aura), sometimes large ; several species 

 oi falco, one of which attacks the geese, and is in 

 consequence called mato gansas, also a kite, and a 

 sparrow hawk. The horned owl (a variety of the strijo 

 virginiana ?) flies about after dark to the terror of 

 the superstitious Indians, who imagine its screech for- 

 bodes evil. Several species of oriolus are met with in 

 the plains, and one, the oriolus phoeniceus, is seen in 

 immense flocks. The natives say that this bird, which 

 in its first year is of a greyish black colour, changes 

 to deep black in the second, and ultimately becomes 

 black with red shoulders ; but Mr. Collie thinks there 

 is some error in this. There is another oriolus which 

 frequents moist and rushy places ; crows in great num- 

 bers, some which are white, and smaller than those of 

 England ; and several species of finches, buntings, and 

 sparrows, prove very destructive to the grain when 

 sown. The magpie is also an inhabitant here, and a 

 small blue jay frequents the woods. The California 

 quail (tetrao virgbiiamis) , wood pigeons with bronzed 

 imbricated feathers on the back of the neck, plovers 

 (charadrius hiaticula ?J, snipes^ several species of 

 sanderlings (tringa), razorbills (hematopus), herons 

 (ardeaj, curlew (scolopax linosa aud recurvirosta), 

 and two species of rallus, afforded amusement to our 

 sportsmen, as did also some of the many species of 

 geese, ducks, widgeon, and teal, which frequent the 

 lakes and plains. The two latter species and one of 

 the anas (erycthropus PJ were similar to those which 

 had been seen in Kotzebue Sound ; and the natives 

 remark that they arrive from the north in the month 

 of September, and depart again in May. The grey 



VOL, II. G 



