re a | Hersry, The Black-throated Loon in N. A. 289 
informs us this bird was sent to Prof. W. W. Cooke in 1915, and 
“he reported it to be an immature Common Loon.” He also says, 
“ Aiken told me that other Loons have been taken in this vicinity 
and were like this bird.’’’ 
Washington: Mr. Samuel N. Rhoads recorded (Proc. Acad. 
Nat. Sci. of Phila., 1893, p. 29) a female secured and others seen at 
Nisqually during April, 1892. This bird is now in the Academy 
of Natural Sciences and has been recently examined by Dr. Witmer 
Stone, who says, “I am confident that this specimen in only immer. 
It is very much worn and is ‘made up’ small. The bill is smaller 
than some specimens of 7zmmer but matched by others and is much 
larger than any pacifica.”’ Dawson and Bowles (Birds of Washing- 
ton) refer to another specimen, in the collection of the State 
Normal School at Bellingham, taken by J. M. Edson. Mr. Edson 
informs us that “this is clearly an error. I have never succeeded 
in securing a specimen of the Black-throated Loon. I think the 
statement was intended to apply to the Red-throated Loon.” 
British Columbia: According to Fannin this species has been 
taken at Burrard Inlet and at Dease Lake, Cassiar, B. C. I have 
not been able to obtain any further information concerning these 
records.! 
Conclusion: From the above it appears that there is not a single 
North American specimen of the Black-throated Loon in any 
collection in this country or Canada, with the exception of the three 
Alaskan birds. Every record that is based on a specimen proves 
to refer to some species other than arctica when the specimen is 
carefully examined. In view of this fact, we cannot place much 
value on the records that cannot be verified at the present time. 
The three Alaskan specimens, when compared with available 
material from Siberia and northern Europe, prove to be the Asiatic 
form, Gavia arctica suschkini Sarudny, and not Gavia arctica arctica 
(Linnzeus). If this Asiatic subspecies is accepted as distinct from 
the European bird, it is this form that should appear on our Check- 
List and Gavia arctica arctica should be dropped until such time as a 
North American specimen is procured and, by careful comparison 
1Since the above was written I have examined the two British Columbia birds. 
One is clearly a Pacific Loon. The other is most like Siberian specimens and may be a 
straggler from that country. It is nof the European form of arctica. 
