158 Hersey, Birds at St. Michael, Alaska. Ack 
ized by very great musical ability. The simple song of even the 
most humble performer is, however, often a source of much pleasure. 
The sweetest song is probably that of the Alaska Longspur and 
this is also the most abundant song bird. The males in their showy 
nuptial dress are the most conspicuous objects on the tundra in 
early summer, while the duller colored and less obtrusive females 
are equally numerous but easily overlooked. After the young can 
fly and their parents have moulted into winter plumage, troops of 
these gay birds can often be found in patches of weeds about the 
houses. Here they will be flushed day after day until, toward the 
last of August or early in September, we suddenly miss them from 
their accustomed places and discover they have slipped away, un- 
noticed to take up a brief residence in a land less wind-swept and 
desolate. 
Another bird frequently seen about the village, but only in early 
summer, is the Gambel’s Sparrow. Perched on some house-top 
the males pour forth their songs for a short time during June. 
Later we find them among the alders where they nest and soon 
after the young are out of the nest all leave for the south. Among 
the alders and willows we find other birds. The shy Fox Sparrow 
is sometimes seen and the Western Tree Sparrow is found in almost 
every clump. The roving Hoary Redpolls with their darker colored 
cousins, the common Redpolls (in this locality, however, less com- 
mon than evilipes), flit about from bush to bush or roam about the 
country in loose flocks, visiting the village and often feeding about 
the door-step, but returning to the alders to build their nests and 
hatch their young. Sometimes they nest in other situations and 
I was shown one nest, built in a small bush in a dooryard in the 
village. The nest was finished and eggs laid about ten days before 
my arrival. 
Two species of swallows are common at St. Michael during the 
summer. The Tree Swallow is most numerous and nests in any 
available niche or crevice about buildings. Mr. Nelson has written 
that this species was only a migrant when he resided at St. Michael. 
The increase in the number of buildings in the village offers many 
suitable nesting sites which the swallows have not been slow to use. 
This species, with its graceful flight, attractive plumage, and not 
unpleasant twittering notes makes a welcome addition to the 
