BIRDS. 1 19 



Beau took ii specimeu.aL L'lialaska on October 10, and on the Near Islands Tuiuer records 

 it as a rare summer visitor. Stejneger thinks it breeds on the Commander Islands. 



May 15, 1S77, while the writer was walking along the rugged beach on Sauak, one of the east- 

 ern Aleutian Islands, one of these Tattlers was started from its feeding ground on the wave-washed 

 rocks, where, amid the seaweed, it found an abundance of small crustaceans and mollusks. As I 

 approached it started ofi', uttering a loud, clear, flute like tutu-ia-in. This is a common note they 

 utter when startled, although they change it at times to a sharjjcr sound. 



The last of May, 1879, a specimen was obtained at Auvik, ou tlie Lower Yukon, which, com- 

 bined with the Nulato record, would appear to indicate that these birds may breed in the interior, 

 as, in fact, I was told they do by the Eskimo at Saiut Michaels. They usually reappear on the 

 sea-coast about Saint Michaels the last of July or very early in August, and remain until from 

 the 1st to 10th of September. At this season their iris is hazel and bill dark horn bluish ; the 

 feet and legs dull greenish yellow. 



During their presence on the coast of Norton Sound they show a decided preference for the 

 most rugged and rock-bound parts of the shore, rarely or never occurring elsewhere. They are 

 unsuspicious and gentle, moving gracefully from rock to rock and running to the edge of the water 

 searching for their food. They are usually solitarj-, but three or four may be started sometimes 

 from a small islet on which is a good feeding ground. A gunshot echoing among the huge bowl- 

 ders and cliffs about their haunts starts up those near at hand with mellow cries of alarm, but they 

 either fly a short distance and renew their pursuits, or alight on some jutting point or top of a 

 rock, and stand motionless,'like gracefully-poised statuettes, until perhaps the gun again wakes 

 the echoes and breaks the spell. It is a frequent and regular summer bird on the rocky parts of 

 the coast to the vicinity of Bering Straits, and occurs on the islands and Siberian shore of Bering 

 Sea. 



From the records obtained it must breed nearly if not quite to the Arctic Circle. Bischoft 

 took two specimens at Sitka, and Elliott notes its presence on the Seal Islands for a short time 

 the 1st of June, and again toward the end of July. The fall specimens secui'ed by me are almost 

 uniform plumbeous ashy above, the feathers faintly edged with grayish white. The chin is white, 

 and the neck and pectoral band, including the sides of the breast, are the same color as the back, 

 washed and maculated with grayish white. This same marking extends back along the sides. 

 The adult spring bird has the cheeks, chin, neck, and rest of lower surface, except middle of abdo- 

 men, barred distinctly with dark ashy brown and white. 



Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). IJartramian Sandpiper. 



The specimens of this well known species, obtained at Fort Yukon by Mr. Lockhart, are the 

 only known instances of its occurrence within this Territory. Richardson noted it north only to 

 the valley of the Saskatchewan, so the Fort Yukon record adds many degrees of latitude to its 

 known habitat, and extends its breeding range within the Arctic Circle. 



In Birds of the Northwest, Dr. Coues writes that it is not found west of the Eocky Mountains, 

 overlooking the British Columbian (Colville Bay) reference quoted in the synonomy at the head 

 of his article. 



ThvnCtITEs subruficollis (Vieill.). Buff breasted Sandpiper, 



The last day of May, 1880, a pair of these widely-ranging birds was found ou a dry knoll a 

 hundred yards or so from the buildings at Saint Michaels. It was on one of those rare but 

 beautiful spring days which occur at times even in the far north. The snow was gone, except a 

 few drifts flecking the distant hillsides with white, and the open tundra stretched on in dun-brown 

 shades, upon which the sun poured down his life-giving rays, already turning to green the borders 

 of pools and damp spots. About the dwellings house-flies left their shelter and buzzed about or 

 clung drowsily to the warm logs. A few droning humble-bees and wasps flew clumsily from place 

 to place, and the air was filled with the happy chuckling notes of the barn-swallows rejoicing in tlie 

 welcome sunlight. 



