i8S6.] Recent Literature. 1^3 



erable period, Mr. Murdoch's report on the ornithology is necessarily one 

 of high importance, through the light it throws upon the distribution of 

 birds in the 'High North.' The report consists almost wholly of field 

 notes, ranging, with different species, from a few lines to a page or two. 

 Detailed descriptions, however, are given of the adult and immature 

 plumages of the rare Rhodostethla rosea (Ross's Gull), and also two col- 

 ored plates, illustrating respectively the adult male in winter plumage, 

 and a youug female in the first autumnal plumage. The expedition "suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining a large series of this rare and beautiful bird— more, in 

 fact, than there were before in all the museums of the world — and a still 

 larger series might have been obtained had the weather and other condi- 

 tions been favorable. ... In iSSi, from September 28 to October 22, there 

 were days when they were exceedingly abundant in smallflocks — generally 

 moving towards the northeast — either flying over the sea or making short 

 excursions inshore. Not a single one was seen during the spring migrations 

 or in the summer, but two or three stragglers were noticed early in Sep- 

 tember — a few out among the loose pack-ice — ^and on September 21, 1SS2, 

 they were again abundant, apparently almost all young birds. They 

 appeared in large, loose flocks, coming in from the sea and from the 

 southwest, all apparently traveling to the northeast. Most of the flocks 

 whirled in at the mouth of our lagoon and circled round the stations with 

 a peculiarly graceful, wavering flight, and many were shot close to the house. 

 A cold easterly wind was blowing at the time. They continued plenty for 

 several days — while the east wind blew — all following the same track, 

 moving up the shore, and making short excursions inland at each of the 

 beach lagoons. After September 28 they disappeared until October 6, 

 when for several days there was a large flight. On October 9, in particular, 

 there was a continuous stream of them all day long moving up the shore 

 a short distance from the beach, and occasionally swinging in over the 

 land. None were seen to return" (pp. 123, 124). The birds are simply 

 autumn visitors to Point Barrow, which is the only locality where they 

 have been observed in abundance. 



The King Eider {Somateria spectabilis) is said to be "the most abun- 

 dant bird at Point Barrow," and quite a long and detailed account is given 

 of its habits. The Pectoral Sandpiper {Tringa muculata) was also found 

 to be a very abundant species, and we have here the first account of its 

 eggs and breeding habits. "The nest is always built in the grass, with a 

 decided pieference for high and dry localities like the banks of gullies and 

 streams. It was sometimes placed at the edge of a small pool, but alwavs 

 in grass and in a dry place, never in the black clay and moss, like the 

 Plover and Buft'-breasted Sandpipers, or in the marsh, like the Phalaropes. 

 The nest was like that of the other waders, a depression in the ground 

 lined with a little grass." The complete sets of eggs found always con- 

 tained four, of the usual pointedly pyriform shape of those of other Sand- 

 pipers. Eighteen sets were examined. In color the eggs greatly resemble 

 those of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 



Very full and interesting notes are given respecting many other species, 



