NO. 32 BIRDS OF ALEUTIAN ISLANDS BENT I3 



we visited, but we did not happen to find any nests. They were fre- 

 quently seen feeding in pairs about the kelp covered rocks at low tide, 

 among which they were surprisingly inconspicuous and were easily 

 approached. 



They were hard to kill however, and would dive readily when 

 shot at or wounded. The unmated pairs were often congregated into 

 large flocks, the adult males generally in flocks by themselves but the 

 flocks of young males or females were usually led by two or three 

 adult males. 



SOMATERIA V-NIGRA 

 Pacific Eider 



Eiders were seen about the inner harbors on all of the islands west 

 of Unalaska and in Kiska Harbor they were fairly abundant in small 

 flocks and mated pairs. They frequented the rocky beaches at the 

 bases of the cliffs where they would sit in the loose rocks, feed in 

 the kelp beds about them and build their nests among the large 

 boulders above high water mark. We found two nests here, one with 

 four and one with five fresh eggs, one in a hollow behind the rocks 

 and partially concealed in the long grass, and one in the long grass 

 at the top of a steep grassy slope. 



OIDEMIA AMERICANA 



Scoter 

 Flocks of Scoters of both this and the fallowing species were seen 

 on the various islands visited, principally in the harbors, and some 

 of this species were shot at Atka Island on June 14. We saw no 

 evidence of their breeding anywhere and none were seen in any of 

 the inland ponds. 



OIDEMIA DEGLANDI 

 White-Winged Scoter 

 The same remarks apply to this species, which were easily recog- 

 nized, but none were shot. They were evidently flocks of non-breed- 

 ing birds wandering about. I find no record of any Surf Scoters 

 being positively identified among the Aleutian Islands, though we 

 may have seen some. 



BRANTA CANADENSIS MINIMA 



Cackling Goose 

 Although we saw a few geese, either this or Hutchins's on Kiska, 

 \dak, Atka and Attn islands, the only one positively identified was 

 one of this subspecies taken by Mr. Beck as she flew from her nest of 



