ALASKA. 179 



this rbese ill-omened, croaking birds perch at all hours of the 

 day, defiling the cross and. tinned dome-roof below them, with- 

 out exciting the slightest sense of the ridiculous or impropriety 

 among the people there, the stranger only being amused."' 



;541. Faico sacer, YonsT.—Gi/rfalcon. 



Fa'co sacer, Forst. Phil. Traus. Ixxii, 423, (1772.) — Baird. 

 Trans. Chicago Acad, i, 271, (1869.) — Couiis. Key X. A. Birds, 

 2i:'., (1872. 



Finding nothing definite in Mr. Elliott's manu.scripts respect- 

 ing this bird, we conclude that it does not reside on the islands, 

 where, however, its casual presence is attested by a specimen in 

 the collection labeled " Saint Paul's, March, '73." It is a young 

 bird, ap])arently in its second year, whicli had doubtless wan- 

 dered or been forced out of its usual way. 



However we may interpret the relation subsisting between the 

 various forms of Hierqfalco, the name Falco sacer (Forst.) is 

 specially pertinent to the present one, and has priority over the 

 several designations more frequently employed. 



" Hawks, like owls, are occasionally seen on the islands, the 

 latter during the winter, especially. They do not remain long, 

 and never breed, although the natives on Saint George's stoutly 

 assert that a ' small brown owl' breeds there. I made unavail- 

 ing search for it." Very probably the hawk-owl, {Surnia idula.) 



.'J96. Cliaradrius fulvits, Gm.— Golden. Plover. 



Charadrius fulvus, Gm. Syst. Nat., i, 687, (1788.) 



Charadrius 2)htvialis, Horsf. Traus. Liuu. Soc, xii, 187, (1822.) 



Charadrius jcantliochcilits, Wagler. Syst. Av., Charad. sp. 36, 



(1827.) 

 Charadrius taitensis, Less. Mau. Orn. ii, 321, (1828.) 

 Charadrius virginianus, Jard. et Selb. 111. ii, pi. 85, (circ. 1830.) 

 Charadrius glaucopus, FoRST. Descr. Au., ed. Licht., 176, (1844.) 

 Charadrius virginicus, Blyth. Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc, 262, (1849.) 

 Charadrius hin/ipes, Temmixck. 



Charadrius auratus orivnialis, Temm. et Scheeg. Fn. Japouica. 

 Charadrius auratus, Schrenk. Amur Reise, 410, (1860.) 

 Pluvialis fulvus, ScHLEGEL. Mus. Pays-Bas, Cursores, p. 50, 



(1864.) 

 Fluvialis fulvus, taiieusis, xanthocheilus, longipes, Bp. Compt. 



Rend., 417, (1856.) 



The Single specimen of golden plover preserved by Mr. Elliott 

 is of special interest and importance, since it is conclusively 

 determined to be the true Asiatic fulvus, and not the Xorth 

 American var. virginicus. This discovery represents an addi- 

 tion to ouv Fauna, for C. fulvus has not hitherto been recognized 



