56 ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 



for the small island Toporkoff, about tbree miles off from the village. 

 During our passage out only few birds were seen, as it was no "land 

 day," but I was assured that they would be in on the following morning. 

 The Toporki and their allies show during this season, previous to the 

 breeding, the peculiarity of appearing regularly, as it seems, in great 

 abundance near shore on one day, while next day they have all disap- 

 peared, staying away on the high sea for two days, when tliej* again 

 take a " land day." The natives had calculated that the following day 

 would be such a regular land day. 



The afternoon passed pleasantly ; some were out fishing, the younger 

 members of the party were playing ball, while I was busily engaged in 

 securing specimens of Troglodytes pallescens, AcantMs linaria, &c., be- 

 sides odds and ends of plants, insects, moUusks, and crustaceans. 



Toporkoff, which has received its name on aocount of being a rookery 

 of the "Toporki," is a small island consisting of a level plateau about 

 30 feet above the surface of the sea, rising abruptly from a 50 to 200 

 feet broad, snndy or rocky beach. The upper surface of the plateau 

 is covered with a thick, hummocky sod, which in every direction is 

 perforated by the numberless holes dug by the " Toporki " and used 

 by them for dwellings to rear their young in. 



Water birds were rather scarce near the island, though at a distance 

 large flocks, like black patches, were seen resting on the sea. iTowand 

 then a solitary Toporok would cross overhead in its straight flight ; a 

 few cormorants {Phalacrocorax pelagicua) aired their wet wings on the 

 outlying rocks, stretching their long necks in all directions; noisy 

 gulls {Larus glaucescens) flew up and down, screaming and scolding at 

 the intruder. 



Evening set in, and the picnic party Feturned, leaving us men with 

 the bajdarkas. Toporki crossed the island more frequently, but not in 

 such numbers that it was thought worth while to try catching them. 

 A camp fire was started for the preparation of the tea, and soon the 

 indispensable "samovar" was humming its cheerful tune. My Aleuts 

 were unusually silent and dull, and we soon crept into the hull of the 

 bajdarkas, a snug and rather comfortable bed, though smelling con- 

 siderably from seal-oil, that peculiar smell which characterizes almost 

 everything on the islands, and to which the outsider will have to adapt 

 himself, if he wants to feel comfortable during his sojourn on the seal 

 islands. 



