eA Hersey, Birds at St. Michael, Alaska. 157 
credited to this locality. The range assigned to this subspecies 
(Bubo virginianus algistus) is the “coast region of northern Alaska 
from Bristol Bay and the Yukon delta northward.’”’ This is a 
stretch of country, that, with the exception of two or three com- 
paratively small areas, is without trees of any kind and is, there- 
fore, wholly unsuited to the requirements of this species. The 
few birds that occur, do so in fall or winter, and are clearly migrants 
or stragglers from the wooded regions. Along the Yukon, in the 
interior, are heavy forests where Horned Owls of some form almost 
certainly occur. The A. O. U. Committee do not, however, include 
this vast territory within the range of any subspecies. Both 
Oberholser and Ridgway refer specimens from Nulato to lagophonus, 
—a form which the A. O. U. Committee does not consider as sepa- 
rable from saturatus but, on the other hand, the range of satwratus 
is given only as including Ft. Yukon in the interior of Alaska. 
If all the birds from the interior are saturatus, then algistus must 
be restricted to the small wooded spots about the head of Norton 
Sound (and possibly the Kowak River), during the breeding season. 
This is a very small area to produce a distinct form of a species 
with the solitary and unsociable habits of the Great Horned Owl, 
but it is certain that it does not inhabit, and breed upon, the low 
marshy tundra that makes up the “ coast region of northern Alaska.” 
Woodpeckers, like most of the owls, occur in fall or early winter 
as stragglers or migrants from the wooded regions. While passing 
through the village on September 4 a familiar note arrested me in 
my walk and caused me to turn aside. Two Downy Woodpeckers 
(nelsoni?) were perched on the roof of a building where they 
remained but a moment or two before flying away toward the south- 
east. I fear they had many weary miles to cover before reaching 
another resting place. 
The Northern Raven is uncommon near St. Michael and was the 
only member of the family observed. Not far from the two vol- 
canic hills previously mentioned a single Raven (probably the same 
individual) was seen a number of times. This bird and one or two 
others observed in northern Alaska and Siberia were exceedingly 
wary; this trait forming a striking contrast to the boldness of the 
Unalaska birds. 
Song birds are represented by few species and none are character- 
