interesting of the birds here is the rufous hummingbird—a dainty lit¬ 
tle species, the male of which is bright rusty rufous with a flaming 
coppery-red gorget. These pygmy birds rear their young along the 
coast northward to the 61st parallel of latitude in Prince William 
Sound, where they endure a raw and extremely inclement summer 
climate in a region of gigantic glaciers and of mountain-sides clothed 
in snow. 
The Bird-Year at St. Michael 
During the years 1 lived on St. Michael Island, the coming and 
going of birds about the small group of log-houses which formed the 
trading-post were constant features of interest; and the arrival of the 
birds in spring was always heralded with especial joy. During the 
last days of April or first of May everyone is on the alert to note the 
first goose of the season. The ground at this time is still covered with 
snow, and the sea overlaid with the heavy pack-ice to the far hori¬ 
zon, and zero-temperatures are common. In the interior, however, 
the season is farther advanced, and from there come solitary geese 
spying out the land along the coast from one to two weeks in advance 
of the main body, which appear to be waiting behind the horizon 
until the sun has bared most of the broad tundras, flooded the ponds, 
and set icy streams running everywhere over the country. These first 
arrivals come singly from the direction of the lower Yukon, flying 
high over head, and uttering loud, clanging notes as they go speed¬ 
ing in a wide circle over the wintry landscape. The passage of the 
first of these harbingers of returning life and plenty is welcomed with 
exultation by the fur-traders as well as by the Indians and Eskimos. 
At the loud cry “Goose! Goose!” shouted joyously by the first to 
see the newcomer, everyone, young and old, hurries out of doors, 
shouting and dancing in a state of excitement difficult to a])preciate 
by one who has not gone through those long, slow, winter months 
in the far North. 
The yearly calendar of the birds about the houses usually began 
some cheerless morning in May, on the border-line between winter 
and spring, when we were greeted by the sharp tsip tsip of a tree spar¬ 
row that had arrived over night and taken i)ossession of adjacent 
weed-])atches. As the weather became milder the sparrows increased 
and, in company with plumj), rosy-breasted b'ttle redpolls, they were 
seen everywhere, from the top of the wind-vane to the sun-dial out¬ 
side the kitchen-window, whence they peeped in curiously. As the 
snow decreased, both the tree sparrows and redpolls drifted away to 
prei)are their summer homes among the alders on some warm hill- 
34 
