PACIFIC LOON 71 



Murdoch (1885) refers to the vocal powers of this species as fol- 

 lows: 



Th'eir peculiar harsh cry, "kok, kok, kok," from which they get their name, 

 "Kaksau," is to be heard all summer, and the birds were seen nearly every 

 day, flying backward and forward and inland from the sea. During the 

 breeding season these smaller loons have a habit of getting off alone in some 

 small pond and howling like a fiend for upward of half an hour at a time 

 It is a most bloodcurdling, weird, and uncanny sort of a scream, and the 

 amount of noise they make is something wonderful. They can be heard for 

 miles. 



Fall. The same writer says of their movements in the fall: 



After the breeding season they are frequently to be seen in the open pools 

 along the shore, especially when the lagoons have broken out. They are always 

 very wild and difficult to secure. They are plenty through August and the 

 greater part of September along the shore, and occasional stragglers remain 

 around open holes well into October. Some appeared to be feeding young as 

 late as the middle of September, 1882, as they were seen going inland from the 

 sea carrying small fish. 



The fall migration route seems to be straight south down the 

 Pacific coast of North America. The winter range extends from 

 British Columbia southward to Lower California, but the species 

 is apparently most abundant in winter in the southern portion of this 

 range, for it occurs more abundantly on the California coast as a 

 migrant than as a winter resident. Mr. A. B. Howell writes me 

 that 



during migration they often gather in flocks of 50 or more just beyond the 

 surf during the heat of the day. While some sleep with their heads beneath 

 their wings, others play, chasing their companions or paddling around on their 

 sides with one foot in the air. They seem to be fond of fishing in company 

 with the cormorants. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. Northern portions of North America. East to 

 the Melville Peninsula (Winter Island), Southampton Island, Hud- 

 son Bay, western Ungava (Long Island, north of Cape Jones), and 

 northwestern Greenland (Carey Islands). South to central Kee- 

 watin (York Factory), southern Mackenzie (Great Slave Lake), 

 central British Columbia (Stuarts Lake) and southwestern Alaska 

 (Kodiak Island and Alaska Peninsula). West to Bering Sea. 

 North to northwestern Alaska (Point Barrow), Banks Land, and 

 the entire Arctic coast of Alaska and Mackenzie. Also northeastern 

 Siberia west to the Indigirka River. 



Turner records them as present throughout the year in the Aleu- 

 tian Islands and breeding on the Near Islands (Semichi). Recorded 

 in summer and may occasionally breed in Queen Charlotte Islands 

 (Skidegate, several July 9), southern Alaska (Sitkan district, few 

 pairs; Admiralty Island, few pairs remain), Herald Island (two 



