ALASKA. 201 



an egg will have ou its smaller eud a large number of suffused 

 blood-red spots. 



"Both parents assist iu tbe labor of incubation, wliich lasts 

 from twenty-four to twenty-six days. The cbick comes out with 

 a pure-white downy coat, and pale whitish-gray bill and feet, 

 resting helplessly iu the nest while its feathers grow. During 

 this period it is a comical-looking object. The natives capture 

 them now and pet them, having a number every year scattered 

 through the village, where they become very tame, and it is not 

 until fall, when cold weather sets in and makes them restless, 

 that they leave their captors and fly away to sea. 



'• This bird is very constant in its specific characters. Among 

 thousands of them I have never observed any variation in the 

 coloration of the bills, feet, or plumage of the mature birds, with 

 one exception. There is a variety, seldom seen, iu which the 

 feet are nearly yellow, or rather yellow than red, and the edge 

 of the eyelid is black instead of scarlet ; there is also a dark 

 patch back of each eye. The color of the feet is probably an 

 accidental individual peculiarity; the dark eye-patch and 

 absence of bright color from the eyelids may depend upon 

 seasoii.'' 



606. Colyinbns avcVicvis, (h.)— Black-throated Direr. 



It is interesting to observe that this bird is the true C. arcticus, 

 and not var. pacijicus, which might have been expected to occur. 

 This is sutficientlj' attested by the measurements of a line adult 

 specimen, No. 498 of Mr. Elliott's collection. Length, about 31 

 inches; wing, 12; bill, along culmen, 2f|; along gape, 4; its 

 depth at base, .80 ; tarsus, 3i ; middle toe and claw, 4. The 

 bill is quite stout, with the culmen convex throughout, showing 

 nothing of the slender, straight, or almost recurved shape char- 

 acteristic of var. pacijicus. 



We find nothing respecting this species iu Mr. Elliott's MSS. 

 It was the only one seen by him. It was found dead, cast upon 

 the sand-beach at Zapadnie, Saint George's Island, and brought 

 to Mr. E. by the natives, who ditfered among themselves as to 

 whether they had ever noticed it before about the islauds. At 

 all events, it is seldom seen there. 



610. Podiceps g'riseig'Ciia, (Bodd.) — Bed-neclccd Grche. 



As in the case of the last species, the present is of the typical 

 form rather than of the Xorth American variety. The diflference, 

 as stated in our synopsis, (Pr. Phila. Acad., 1862, 232,) lies iu 



