ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 221 



Nest building is commenced early in May, and completed, generally, 

 not mucli before the 1st of July. It uses dry grass and moss cemented 

 with mud, which it gathers at the fresh-water jiools and ponds scat- 

 tered over the islands. The nest is solidly and neatly j)ut up; the 

 parents work together in its construction most diligently and amiably. 

 Two eggs are the usual number, although occasionally three will be 

 found in the nest. If tliese eggs are removed, the female will renew 

 them, like the " arrie," in the course of another week or ten days. They 

 are of the size and shape of a common hen's egg, but covered with a 

 dark gray ground, spotted and blotched with sepia jjatches. Once in 

 a while an egg will have on the smaller end a large number of suffused 

 blood-red spots. Both jjarents assist in the labor of incubation, which 

 lasts a trifle longer than the usual time — from twenty-four to twenty- 

 six days. The chick comes out with a pure wiiite downy coat, a pale 

 whitish-gray bill and feet, and rests helplessly in the nest until its 

 feathers grow. During this period it is a comical looking object. The 

 natives capture them, now and then, to make pets of, always having 

 a number every year scattered through the village, usually tied by 

 one leg to a stake at the doors of their houses, where they become 

 very tame; and it is not until fall, when cold weather sets in, that 

 they become restless and willingly leave their captivity for the free- 

 dom of the air. This bird is remarkably constant in its specific char- 

 acters. Among the thousands and tens of thousands of them I have 

 never observed any variation in the coloration of the bills, feet, or 

 I3lumage of the mature birds, with one exception. This is a variety, 

 seldom seen, however, in which the feet are nearly yellow, or much 

 more yellow than red, and the edge of the eyelid is l3lack instead of 

 being normally scarlet ; there is also a dark patch back of each eye in 

 these odd specimens. The abnormal color of the feet is probablj^ due 

 to sheer accidental individual peculiarity, while the eye patch and 

 absence of bright color from the ej^elids may depend upon the season. 



32. Colymbus arcticus. Black-throated Diver. 



When surveying Zapadnie, July, 1873, in measuring my angles on 

 the beach, I came across the form of this bird, thrown up, nearly 

 dead, by the surf, under mj^ feet. It is the only one I have seen upon 

 the islands, and 1 called the attention of the old wiseacres of the vil- 

 lage to it. Whereupon, after much deliberation and guttural Aleu- 

 tian vocalization, they informed me that they had never noticed it 

 before around the island, though one aged man declared to the con- 

 trary, and submitted his minority report with great emphasis and 

 much gravity. At all events, it is seldom seen "here. The bird in 

 question was a fine adult specimen, and it is interesting to observe 

 that it is the true Colymbus arcticus and not var. x>acificus, which 

 might naturally have been expected. 



33. Podiceps griseigena. Red-necked GtREBE. 



As in the case of the diver above cited, the jjresent specimen is a 

 typical form rather than a North American varietj^ It was the only 

 specimen seen during my residence on the island. It has, however, 

 been observed by the natives heretofore, though they affirm that it is 

 uncommon; also, a straggler, in my opinion. 



34. Fratercula corniculata. Horned Puffin; "Epatka." 



My first impression when I saw one of these odd-looking birds, with 

 its large shovel-like, lemon-yellow and red bill, as it sat squatted in 

 glum silence on the rocky cliff perches, was one of great amusement, 



