CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 99 
The Harlequin is also found along the northeastern shore of Siberia, and visits all the Bering 
Sea islands during the summer. It was not seen by us, however, in the Arctic during the cruise 
of the Corwin, and if it oceurs there it must be as a straggler or very rare summer visitant. 
HARELDA GLACIALIS (Linn.) Leach. 
(132.) OLD Squaw Duck. 
Everywhere around the islands of Bering Sea and the mainland coast, extending through 
the Straits and along both the Alaskan and Siberian shores to the farthest limit of land, this 
peculiar Duck is found in abundance. It is a noisy bird in spring, with a loud and sonorous note, 
and occurs everywhere on the sea among the drifting ice, or on shore in secluded pools and small 
sluggish streams. It occurs as a resident on the fur-seal islands, and upon the Aleutian chain. 
It was also seen about Saint Lawrence Island during our visits there in June and July, 1881, and 
was common at East Cape, Siberia, as well as along the north coast of this land. It is reported 
as being a common species at Nova Zembla by Nordenskidld, and a recent letter in the New York 
Herald from the naturalist of the Jeannette reports them common August 30, 1881, on Thaddeus 
Island, one of the Liakhov group, as the Jeannette party were making their way to the mouth of 
the Lena after losing their yessel. Its habits are a strange combination of the salt and fresh 
water Ducks in Alaska, as it appears to frequent indifferently the rocky islands surrounded by 
the sea with an entire lack of fresh water, or is found far up the Yukon, where fresh water alone 
exists. It has a peculiar and rather musical note, making it one of the most conspicuous birds 
on the ponds and streams of the sea-coast and marshes about the mouth of the Yukon, where in 
spring its loud cries and lively manners make it a very amusing and interesting bird. It arrives 
in the sea with the first openings in the ice during April each spring, or in earlier seasons the last 
of March. These ducks are very much emaciated at this date, but gradually regain their flesh, 
until in May the ponds open on shore and allow them to seek their nesting grounds. In the 
autumn they remain until the sea freezes over, and thus closes their only means of gaining 
subsistence, after which they are forced to depart for the South. 
POLYSTICTA STELLERI (Pall.) Brandt. 
(135.) STELLER’S EIDER. 
The present species is widely distributed over the coasts of Bering Sea, occurring on both the 
mainlands as well as about all the islands of this water. It was found merely as a straggler upon 
the fur-seal islands by Elliott, but is extremely numerous on the Aleutian chain in winter where it 
occurs as a very abundant resident at this season, joining sometimes in flocks with the King Hider. 
Dall informs us that it pairs early in May and breeds upon the Aleutian chain. The larger 
number, however, pass farther north at this season. During my visit to Ounalaska in May, 1877, 
these birds were found in small numbers scattered over the inner harbors, but were extremely shy, 
and notwithstanding repeated efforts to secure them they invariably took flight long before my 
approach within gunshot. They have been reported as wintering in great abundance upon Sanakh 
Island, and as occurring in large numbers on the north coast of Aliaska Peninsula during the 
summer. North along the coast of Norton Sound they are only known as autumnal visitants. 
Each fall, just before the inner bays freeze over in October, a number of these birds are found 
sometimes in considerable flocks feeding about the tide-rips, and at this season I secured a number 
of specimens ; but no adults were ever noted at this locality, and I do not know of the bird’s oeeur- 
rence in spring, although it may be taken as a rare straggler. It was not noted by us anywhere 
along the coast of Alaska from Saint Michael’s north through Bering Strait to Point Barrow; but 
we found a number of them the first of July in the brackish ponds on Saint Lawrence Island, 
where they were evidently breeding, and again on the north coast of Siberia they were excessively 
numerous. Flocks of thousands were found about Cape Wankarem during our stay there the 
first of August, 1881, and, in company with an equal number of King Eiders and a few ot the 
Pacific Eider, were seen passing out and in each evening to and from the large estuary back of the 
native village. This village was built upon the spit cutting this estuary from the sea at this 
