Reports of Field Agents 419 



REPORT OF G. WILLETT, AGENT AND WARDEN 

 STATIONED ON ST. LAZARIA BIRD- 

 RESERVATION, ALASKA 



I respectfully submit the following report on condition of birds on St. 

 Lazaria Bird-Reservation, Alaska Territory, during July and August, 191 2: 



The island of St. Lazaria is situated about one mile from the island of 

 Kruzoff, immediately north of the entrance to Sitka Sound. The island is 

 about a mile long and averages about two hundred yards in width. At its 

 highest point it attains an elevation of a little over two hundred feet above 

 sea-level. The shores are rocky, and in most places abrupt, forming cliffs 

 from twenty to one hundred and fifty feet in height. The top of the island 

 is covered with a considerable layer of soil which extends down on the steep 

 hillsides for a greater or less distance. The higher hilltops are fairly well 

 timbered with spruce and hemlock, around the bases of which are thickets 

 of salmon-berry bushes, which in some places are almost impenetrable. Along 

 the tops of the bluffs, and on the steep hillsides, is a luxurious growth of tall, 

 rank grass. There are two small streams of fairly good water on the island, 

 besides a seepage from the cliffs in many places. 



I was on the island the greater part of the time from late July until the 

 latter part of August. Owing to rainy weather, which prevailed during 

 practically my entire stay, I met with very poor success in obtaining 

 photographs. 



I found that the birds had not been disturbed by mankind during the 

 present nesting season. There were, however, three different agencies that 

 had been detrimental, to a considerable extent, to the welfare of the nesting 

 colonies. These are the Sitka brown bear, the Northern Bald Eagle and the 

 Northwestern Crow. 



The bear is not a resident of St. Lazaria, but is plentiful on Kruzoff Island, 

 and, being a strong s\\immer, is easily able to cross the intervening mile between 

 the latter island and the bird-reservation. About the middle of June, some 

 time previous to my arri\^al in Sitka, a party of Indians returning from a 

 fishing-trip reported that a bear was on St. Lazaria Island destroying the 

 nesting birds. I found upon investigation that the report was true and searched 

 the island thoroughly in hope of finding the marauder at work. There were, 

 however, no bears on the island at the time of my first \isit, nor did any put 

 in an appearance during my stay. The freshest sign noted appeared to be 

 several w^eeks old. I found no evidence that the bear, or bears, had disturbed 

 any of the birds, with the exception of the Petrels. All over the top of the 

 island, particularly on the higher part at the west end, were the excavations 

 of the bear among the Petrel nests. I estimated that at least five hundred 

 nests had been dug up, and the incubating birds eaten, feathers and all. In 

 some cases the primary feathers were not eatsn but were left lying among 



