V ?%,*~\ General Notes. 2<)Cj 



in half a day's rowing. The first day's work was about the best, and of the 

 five taken that day four were in good condition though none were fat. 

 Later on all birds taken were thin, some being very thin, and live were 

 found floating dead, three of which I saved. It would seem that those that 

 remained until the end of the month were unable to migrate, either because 

 of disease or old age. In one female taken March 23 some ova were as 

 large as No. 10 shot. None of the other females taken showed any ten- 

 dency toward breeding. Several birds taken show small irregular patches 

 of white on the cheeks, probably signs of immaturity. The majority 

 retained the old faded wing and tail feathers. 



The flight of P. aleuticus is swift, steady, and low, just clearing the 

 waves. The white under parts show in flight. They dive well, and can 

 stay underwater two minutes or more. They swim fast for so small a bird. 

 On being chased with a boat they often preferred diving to flight, and then 

 their speed was greater than when swimming, requiring sharp rowing to 

 get within shooting distance. They often changed their course while 

 under water, and several times baffled me in that way. They are so small 

 that' one cannot see them very far in rough water. Wounded birds ob- 

 served at short distances were observed to use their wings in diving, and 

 probably in all cases diving is simply a flight under water. 



The last day that I was out I ran down two sick birds that I knocked 

 over with an oar without having to shoot them, and another I caught alive 

 without hurting it, but it died as I came ashore. March 30 I shot one at 

 close range with dust shot, which revived after being thrown in the bottom 

 of the boat, and I kept it alive one day. It was apparently unable to fly 

 when first seen and was quite thin. I found on skinning it that a single 

 pellet of dust shot had passed through the brain and stopped at the bone 

 on the opposite side. Clots of blood were in the track of the shot through 

 the brain. That a sick bird with a shot through the brain can live several 

 days, shows that it is of low organism or has unusually great vitality. Its 

 actions may not have been normal because of this wound in the brain. Its 

 usual position was lying flat on its belly on the floor. On being stroked 

 on its back, which it seemed to dislike, it rose, with the body at an angle 

 similar to that of a duck walking, took a few steps very awkwardly, and 

 fell flat on the floor again. The middle of the feet in walking were put 

 down about under the outer outline of the body on either side, and the 

 resulting waddle was greater than I have seen in any other species of bird. 

 At each step the feet made a decided pat on the floor. On stroking it 

 several times, it uttered a low, harsh, grating sound similar to what I heard 

 a wounded one utter as I pursued it in the boat. If I teased it some time, 

 it would bite my finger, but its bite was too weak to hurt at all. A few- 

 times it rose of its own accord and straightened up and flapped its wings, 

 its body inclined at an angle of 45 or 50°, but at no time did it take the 

 nearly erect position given in most plates of allied species. Probably, 

 had it been unhurt and well, it would have stood more erect. The stom- 

 achs of some examined contained shrimps. One day while I was watching 



