154 Hersey, Birds at St. Michael, Alaska. Fer 
other species. The Old-Squaw is also abundant and the Greater 
Scaup ranks third. All these species breed. 
Other ducks are uncommon and I found few breeding. The 
Mallard was seen once or twice and one nest was found on June 9. 
I saw none of its plumage in any of the natives’ feather ornaments. 
The Green-winged Teal is rare in spring but for a few days in 
August there was quite a flight and a number were shot. One of 
the rarest ducks at the present day is the Spectacled Eider. In 1914 
I saw three in the canal on June 8 and the remains of one at the 
army post the previous day. During 1915 the species was met with 
but once,— seven birds being seen on June 5. No evidence of its 
breeding was found. 
During the migrations in spring and fall geese occur in some 
abundance I was told, and by the end of August a few flocks were 
beginning to pass over, while after September 1 they were seen 
almost daily. They were largely made up of White-fronted Geese 
and this species also breeds in very small numbers. The only 
Snow Geese seen was a flock of five on June 19. I imagine the 
Emperor Goose occurs at times in the fall but I have no positive 
evidence of it. 
The Whistling Swan is now very rare about St. Michael. Many 
people told me they had occasionally seen them in spring or fall 
but very few had ever shot one. Some maintained that they 
nested “back in the hills ” (a breeding ground assigned to all species 
whose nests they had never seen). If they nested anywhere near 
St. Michael, some would surely have been seen, but I did not meet 
with a single swan at St. Michael or in any part of Alaska. 
The Little Brown Crane still occurs rather commonly and breeds. 
Late in August and early in September small flocks, probably 
migrants, were seen flying over, often at a great height. The larg- 
est number seen in any one flock was fourteen. 
The Northern Phalarope was the only species of this family 
found breeding at St. Michael where several of their nests were 
found, usually in the wetter parts of the tundra. Eggs were found 
from June 5 to 16 and downy young June 19. Many adults were 
found to be in full moult on July 18, and from July 26 to August 11 
specimens in full winter plumage predominated. 
The most numerous sandpiper on the tundra is the Western but 
