eat | Hanna, Birds of St. Matthew Island. 403 
THE SUMMER BIRDS OF THE ST. MATTHEW ISLAND 
BIRD RESERVATION. 
BY G. DALLAS HANNA, U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
Tuis Bird Reservation, officially known as the Bering Sea Reser- 
vation, is located in Bering Sea about 220 miles north of the Pribilof 
Islands. It consists of three islands, which named in order of size 
are St. Matthew, Hall and Pinnacle Islands. These were made a 
bird reservation by Executive Order of February 27, 1909. Owing 
to the distance of the group from the regular channels of travel, 
opportunities for naturalists to visit it rarely occur. It is barren, 
treeless, uninhabited and surrounded by dangerous and poorly 
charted waters. 
Through a request of the Biological Survey of the Department 
of Agriculture I was detailed to make an examination of the 
Reservation in June 1916, but owing to the ice pack remaining 
in that vicinity until after the middle of the month this was impos- 
sible. In July, however, the trip was made, and six days were 
spent on St. Matthew and Hall Islands. Arrangements were made 
with the Coast Guard Service for transportation and we left St. 
Paul Island on the morning of July 7, on the Cutter Unalga, Cap- 
tain F. G. Dodge in command. The next morning the spires of 
Pinnacle Island were in full view and a landing was made near 
Cape Upright of St. Matthew at noon. Between then and the 12th 
almost the whole of this island was examined, and on the 13th we 
went to Hall Island. Pinnacle Island was not visited on account 
of adverse weather conditions. 
I wish to express my appreciation of the favors extended me by 
the Coast Guard Service and especially to Captain Dodge and the 
crew of the Unalga, every man of whom willingly and eagerly 
assisted me on every occasion. 
St. Matthew Island is about 22 miles long by two to three miles 
wide and is slightly curved to the north. Its mountains rise as 
high as 1800 feet and are weather worn and smoothly eroded in 
most cases. Some of them have mosses and lichens growing to the 
tops, but others, especially in the center of the island, are entirely 
