cation. Eight sections liave Ijeen completed, total- 

 ing 309 pages, and work continues on 5 other sec- 

 tions now partially completed. The work should 

 be finished within the next year. 



Ilurho-r seal. — The increased pelt value of tlie 

 liarbor seal has brought about a need for biological 

 data essential to the development of a manage- 

 ment program for the species. To this end, per- 

 sonnel of the Alaska Unit have been involved in 

 study of the breeding biology and molt characteris- 

 tics of harbor seals in the Gulf of Alaska. It was 

 found that the first seal pups are bom in early 

 May, and that the pupping peak occurs June 3-11. 

 Pups were weaned in 4 to 6 we«ks. Breeding was 

 first observed on July 4 and was concentrated in 

 the month of July; females normally breed every 

 year. Pup mortality was very high because of 

 abandonment of the young, owing partly to dis- 

 turbance by commercial hunters. Molting was 

 first observed for immature seals by July 11, and 

 by July 27 all immature and adult animals showed 

 about the same degree of molting. 



Mammals of Maryland. — From examination of 

 specimens in many museums, careful sifting of the 

 literature, and extensive collateral work, a list of 

 73 species of mammals known to occur in Mary- 

 land has been compiled. An additional 18 extinct 

 or hypothetical species from the State are also 

 listed. Each has been described and discussed with 

 reference to its distribution, habitat, distinguish- 

 ing characters, habits, and systematic status. A 

 manuscript of over 300 pages has been prepared, 

 plus 68 pages of distribution maps. 



Mamnuils of Assateagne Ishind. — For several 

 years, in collaboration with the Smith-sonian In- 

 stitution, data on Assateague Island mammals 

 have iH'en gathered in field observations and collec- 

 tions, and are now assembled in a manuscript that 

 awaits publication. Presented is information on 

 17 terrestrial and 8 marine species recorded from 

 t he island and its environs. 



Biologwal I'econnmssance in northwest Alas- 

 ka. — A biological reconnaissance of the remote 

 Baird and Schwatka Mountains in northwestern 

 Alaska was undertaken by the Alaska T^nit 

 through Conservation Foundation sponsorship. 

 Totals of 3,200 plant specimens, .50 birds, and 650 

 maninials were collected in the study. Plants 

 from the area are being analyzed ph^i^ogeograph- 

 ically at the U.S. National Museum. For birds, 

 significant distribution records were obtained for 

 the red-necked grebe, mallard, canvasback, harle- 

 quin duck, common merganser, surfbird, upland 

 plover, lesser yellowlegs, red phalarope, northern 

 phalarope, sabine's gull, gay's phoebe, olive-sided 

 flycatcher, horned lark, bank swallow, arctic war- 

 bler, gray-crowned rosy finch, golden-crowned 

 sparrow, and Smith's longspur. A decrease in the 

 number of species and abundance of individuals of 

 both plants and animals was found to occur as the 

 forest edge was approached in the area of study. 

 The distribution of animals and plants in this 

 region indicates that virtually all physiographic 

 barriers have been circumvented during the pas- 

 sage of time. 



,0^'/k^0/i,^ 



67 



