﻿ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES. 
  81 
  

  

  norther. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  come 
  into 
  the 
  harbor, 
  and 
  cannot 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  more 
  

   than 
  an 
  accidental 
  visitor, 
  though 
  reported 
  to 
  be 
  common 
  in 
  winter 
  near 
  the 
  

   Pribyloff 
  Islands 
  ; 
  not 
  observed 
  at 
  the 
  Shumagins. 
  E^'e 
  dark. 
  The 
  specimens 
  

   were 
  so 
  loaded 
  with 
  fat 
  that 
  only 
  the 
  heads 
  could 
  be 
  preserved 
  for 
  ideutilication. 
  

  

  Graculus 
  violaceus, 
  Gray. 
  (627.) 
  

  

  Eye 
  black. 
  Common 
  on 
  the 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  bay 
  at 
  Unalashka, 
  but 
  

   seldom 
  approaching 
  the 
  harbor. 
  Gills, 
  light 
  flesh 
  color 
  below, 
  passing 
  into 
  

   ashy 
  gray 
  above. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  large 
  flocks, 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  inquisitive, 
  

   flying 
  round 
  and 
  round 
  about 
  the 
  boat 
  when 
  employed 
  in 
  sounding, 
  uttering 
  a 
  

   shrill 
  cry 
  at 
  intervals. 
  Seen 
  also 
  at 
  the 
  Shumagins, 
  abundantly. 
  A 
  resident. 
  

  

  Diomedea 
  111 
  gripes, 
  Aud. 
  (G33a.) 
  

  

  Full 
  notes 
  were 
  given 
  on 
  this 
  characteristic 
  North 
  Pacific 
  species, 
  in 
  a 
  paper 
  

   on 
  the 
  birds 
  of 
  Alaska, 
  published 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Bannister 
  and 
  myself, 
  some 
  time 
  since. 
  

   It 
  generally 
  joins 
  the 
  vessel 
  within 
  one 
  hundred 
  miles 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  and 
  

   on 
  this 
  voyage, 
  as 
  on 
  several 
  others, 
  it 
  left 
  us 
  in 
  Lat. 
  53° 
  N. 
  Observing 
  its 
  

   flight, 
  I 
  noticed 
  that 
  its 
  ordinary 
  method 
  of 
  sustentation 
  when 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  breeze, 
  

   consists 
  in 
  rising 
  against 
  the 
  wind 
  and 
  falling 
  with 
  it 
  ; 
  this 
  being 
  sometimes 
  

   kept 
  up 
  for 
  hours 
  with 
  hardly 
  a 
  stroke 
  of 
  the 
  wings. 
  It 
  rises 
  only 
  against 
  the 
  

   wind, 
  except 
  in 
  rare 
  cases, 
  when 
  its 
  descending 
  momentum 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  raise 
  

   it 
  slightly 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  distance, 
  or 
  when 
  the 
  reflex 
  eddy 
  from 
  a 
  high 
  surge 
  is 
  

   strong 
  enough 
  to 
  give 
  it 
  a 
  slight 
  lift. 
  It 
  uses 
  its 
  strong 
  webbed 
  feet 
  to 
  some 
  

   extent 
  in 
  balancing 
  itself 
  when 
  turning 
  with 
  the 
  wind 
  ; 
  also 
  by 
  extending 
  them 
  

   downward 
  at 
  a 
  right 
  angle 
  with 
  the 
  body, 
  to 
  check 
  its 
  course, 
  especially 
  when 
  

   alighting 
  on 
  the 
  water. 
  Generally, 
  when 
  flying, 
  they 
  are 
  stretched 
  out 
  behind 
  

   with 
  the 
  webs 
  extended, 
  and 
  assist 
  the 
  bird 
  materially 
  in 
  guiding 
  itself, 
  the 
  tail 
  

   being 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  extended 
  feet. 
  It 
  rises 
  by 
  extending 
  its 
  wings 
  and 
  run- 
  

   ning 
  against 
  the 
  wind 
  over 
  the 
  water, 
  until 
  it 
  is 
  sufficiently 
  raised 
  above 
  the 
  

   water 
  to 
  use 
  its 
  wings 
  without 
  wetting 
  them. 
  Their 
  eyesight 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  

   acute 
  ; 
  they 
  can 
  distinguish 
  a 
  discolored 
  spot 
  a 
  yard 
  across, 
  in 
  the 
  water, 
  from 
  

   a 
  distance 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  five 
  miles, 
  and 
  even 
  much 
  further 
  than 
  our 
  unaided 
  eyes 
  

   can 
  see 
  the 
  bird 
  itself. 
  Its 
  flight 
  in 
  calm 
  weather 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  five 
  

   or 
  six 
  short, 
  sharp 
  strokes, 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  a 
  second 
  or 
  more 
  apart, 
  followed 
  

   by 
  a 
  short 
  period 
  of 
  comparative 
  quiet. 
  They 
  appear 
  to 
  subsist 
  mainly 
  on 
  a 
  

   pelagic 
  crab 
  {Pinnotheres 
  sp.) 
  and 
  the 
  refuse 
  from 
  vessels. 
  They 
  usually 
  fly 
  in 
  

   flocks 
  of 
  six 
  or 
  eight, 
  but 
  often 
  smaller, 
  and 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  a 
  solitary 
  individ- 
  

   ual 
  followed 
  the 
  vessel 
  for 
  hundreds 
  of 
  miles 
  without 
  a 
  companion. 
  

  

  Another 
  species, 
  probably 
  a 
  Diomedea, 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  nigripes, 
  and 
  with 
  a 
  

   large 
  amount 
  of 
  white 
  upon 
  the 
  plumage, 
  spotted 
  and 
  streaked 
  with 
  brown, 
  was 
  

   observed 
  on 
  several 
  occasions 
  cast 
  up 
  dead 
  and 
  decomposed 
  on 
  the 
  beaches 
  of 
  

   the 
  island, 
  but 
  no 
  fresh 
  specimens 
  were 
  obtained. 
  

  

  T 
  /lalassidroma 
  furcata, 
  Gould. 
  (G40.) 
  

  

  This 
  bird, 
  though 
  not 
  observed 
  anywhere 
  at 
  sea, 
  was 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  Chica 
  

   Rocks- 
  in 
  the 
  Akutan 
  Pass 
  near 
  Unalashka, 
  breeding, 
  June 
  2d, 
  1872. 
  The 
  eye 
  

  

  