﻿26 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  Halaetus 
  leucoccphalus, 
  Sav. 
  (43.) 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  abundant 
  throughout 
  the 
  islands, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  

   during 
  the 
  entire 
  year. 
  Jt 
  builds 
  on 
  rocky 
  cliffs, 
  and 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  miscellane- 
  

   ous 
  in 
  its 
  diet, 
  subsisting 
  in 
  winter 
  principally 
  upon 
  ducks 
  and 
  ptarmigan, 
  and 
  

   in 
  summer 
  upon 
  the 
  salmon 
  which 
  are 
  found 
  around 
  the 
  mouths 
  of 
  streams, 
  in 
  

   such 
  great 
  abundance 
  that 
  the 
  eagles 
  have 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  difficulty 
  in 
  obtaining 
  a 
  

   sufficiency 
  of 
  food. 
  At 
  one 
  time, 
  near 
  a 
  salmon 
  run 
  in 
  Sanborn 
  Harbor, 
  Nagai, 
  

   I 
  counted 
  seventeen 
  eagles 
  within 
  a 
  hundred 
  yards. 
  The 
  eyes 
  and 
  feet 
  are 
  pale 
  

   yellow, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  considerable 
  variation 
  in 
  their 
  plumage, 
  some 
  individuals 
  

   being 
  much 
  darker 
  than 
  others. 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  hardly 
  able 
  to 
  fly 
  before 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  season, 
  though 
  hatched 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  The 
  nest 
  is 
  usually 
  

   composed 
  of 
  small 
  sticks, 
  with 
  a 
  lining 
  of 
  dry 
  grass, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  nest 
  appears 
  

   to 
  be 
  occupied 
  for 
  several 
  successive 
  seasons. 
  Many 
  of 
  these 
  eagles 
  were 
  found 
  

   dead 
  during 
  the 
  winter, 
  without 
  any 
  signs 
  of 
  injury 
  or 
  wound, 
  too 
  fixt 
  to 
  have 
  

   starved 
  to 
  death, 
  and 
  with 
  no 
  weather 
  cold 
  enough 
  to 
  have 
  affected 
  them 
  injur- 
  

   iously. 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  suggest 
  any 
  adequate 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  

   mystery. 
  

  

  Brachyotus 
  Cassini, 
  Brewer. 
  (.52.) 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  uncommon, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  resident 
  in 
  Unalashka, 
  and 
  probably 
  

   in 
  the 
  other 
  islands. 
  In 
  those 
  obtained, 
  the 
  iris 
  was 
  bright 
  yellow. 
  It 
  builds 
  

   in 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  ground, 
  usually 
  on 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  steep 
  bank 
  ; 
  the 
  hole 
  is 
  horizon- 
  

   tal, 
  and 
  the 
  inner 
  end 
  usually 
  a 
  little 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  aperture 
  ; 
  lined 
  with 
  dry 
  

   grass 
  and 
  feathers. 
  Those 
  which 
  I 
  examined 
  did 
  not 
  exceed 
  two 
  feet 
  in 
  depth. 
  

   There 
  are 
  no 
  trees 
  in 
  Uualashka, 
  and 
  the 
  species 
  was 
  often 
  observed 
  sitting 
  on 
  

   the 
  ground 
  near 
  its 
  burrow, 
  and 
  not 
  uufrequeutly 
  in 
  the 
  day-time. 
  

  

  Nijctea 
  nivea, 
  Gray. 
  (61 
  ) 
  

  

  I 
  did 
  not 
  see 
  this 
  species 
  living, 
  but 
  there 
  were 
  several 
  skins 
  or 
  portions 
  of 
  

   skins 
  in 
  the 
  village 
  at 
  Unalashka, 
  used 
  as 
  ornaments. 
  Mr. 
  B. 
  Bendel 
  had 
  one 
  

   in 
  his 
  house, 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  killed 
  himself. 
  It 
  is 
  reported 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  resident. 
  

  

  Cinclus 
  mexicanus, 
  Bon. 
  (1 
  64.) 
  

  

  This 
  bird 
  is 
  not 
  uncommon 
  near 
  the 
  small 
  streams 
  in 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  Una- 
  

   lashka. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  resident. 
  The 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  feet 
  varies 
  from 
  flesh 
  to 
  slate 
  color 
  ; 
  

   the 
  eye 
  in 
  fresh 
  specimens 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  a 
  light 
  brown, 
  but 
  soon 
  turns 
  black 
  

   after 
  death. 
  Its 
  habits 
  here 
  are 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  Yukon, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  

   to 
  observe 
  them. 
  

  

  Hlnmdo 
  unalashhnsis 
  ? 
  Gmelin. 
  

  

  In 
  June, 
  1872, 
  a 
  swallow 
  was 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  at 
  liiuliuk, 
  Unalashka, 
  which 
  

   was 
  supposed 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  to 
  be 
  bicolor, 
  but 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  above 
  species. 
  

   A 
  summer 
  visitor, 
  and 
  said 
  to 
  build. 
  

  

  -■ 
  Troglodijtes 
  hijemnlin, 
  var. 
  alascem^is, 
  Baird. 
  (273 
  ) 
  

  

  A 
  resident. 
  Abundant 
  ou 
  the 
  rocky 
  cliffs 
  of 
  Amaknak 
  Island, 
  Unalashka, 
  

  

  