290 Stronc, An Observation Tent. pak 
with European birds, proved to be of that form. If, however, we 
do not recognize Gavia arctica suschkini as distinct, then the Euro- 
pean bird is entitled to a place in our avifauna only on the strength 
of its casual occurrence in Alaska. 
AN IMPROVED OBSERVATION TENT. 
BY R. M. STRONG. 
(Plate: XxX. 
In a preceding number! of this journal, I described with an 
illustration, a tent which I had used in studying gulls at their’ 
breeding places. This tent was a modification of a type described 
by Sawyer.2 It is inexpensive and free from certain objectionable 
features of other bird blinds. However, it is small and low. 
Being only four feet high, one is not able to stand erect in it, and 
there is not sufficient space to handle apparatus comfortably. 
In the same communication, I stated that I had devised and used 
a larger tent since doing the work there described. It has occurred 
to me that an account of the improvements might be useful to 
some readers of this journal. 
Tents of this type have no stay lines to interrupt the camera 
view, and they can be set up on rocky sites where it is not practica- 
ble to drive tent stakes. Furthermore, they are of very convenient 
shape, and are economical of ground space. 
The contour of the tent is maintained by a frame which gives a 
flat horizontal roof and steep, slightly-sloping sides. The frame 
consists of eight poles held in position by four socket pieces at the 
corners of the roof and four anchoring poles to be described later, 
In the older tent, the frame poles were held together by blocks of 
1 Strong, R. M. On the Habits and Behavior of the Herring Gull, Larus argentatus Pont. 
The Auk, Vol. XX XI, Nos. 1-2, January—April, 1914. Plates III-X and XIX-XX, 1 
text figure. : 
2 Sawyer, E. J. A Special Bird-Blind. Bird Lore, Vol. XI, no. 2, March-April, 1909, 
pp. 71-73. One page of text figures. 
