62 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWDT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



MOTACILLID^. WAGTAILS. 

 BUDTTES FLAVA (Linn.) Gray. 



(14.) The Yellow Wagtail. 



As a summer resident on the shores of Bering Sea, in Alaska, this handsome bird makes its 

 appearance the last of May or the first of June, according to the season, and very soon after is 

 mated and perforniiug its summer duty of nesting and rearing its young, in all the suitable portions 

 of the low, open country, from the Yukon mouth on the south to the southern shore of Kotzebue 

 Sound on the north. Saint Michael's may be taken as the center of abundance of this bird in 

 Alaska. At the Yukon mouth, I found it rare in the sitring of 1879 and during the summer of 1880. 

 I only found two or three specimens at the various hiTidings made in Kotzebuo Sound ; it was, also, 

 found sparingly at Plover Bay, where nearly every naturalist who has landed there has also found 

 it. It was not seen on the Arctic shore of Siberia visited by the Corwiu, nor does Nordenskjold 

 mention it as being found at his wintering place. As autumn api)roaches, towards the last of 

 August, these gentle birds prepare to return to their winter quarters in Southeastern Asia and 

 adjoining islands. One by one they leave our shore, and unless some waif is caught, like the one 

 JMr. Dall secured at sea, off Saint Mattliew's Island, nothing more is heard of them in America until 

 they recross the sea again in spring. jNleanwhile they have twice passed the strange scenes of 

 China, Japan, and other adjoining lands of the Orient, and penetrated the countries of Southeastern 

 Asia and the adjoining islands. Joining meanwhile in pleasant fellowship with many a strange 

 feathered companion, whose experience wots not of the wide lands roamed over by his jaunty, 

 tip-tilted friend, whose air of complacent impertinence speaks of much sight seeing in foreign parts ; 

 and who knows but he even affects a slight Eskimo lisp as the result of his voyage across the seas? 

 However, he is a very welcome summer visitor to the cheerless bogs of Northwestern Alaska and 

 makes a pleasant addition to the slightly varied character of the bird life in this portion of the far 

 north. 



ANTHUS LUDOVICIANUS (Gm.) Licht. 



(15.) The American Titlakk. 



During the early spring the Titlark is found sparingly along the entire Alaskan coast of Bering 

 Sea, but docs not breed to my knowledge south of the straits, except perhaps on the mountains 

 back from the coast, and I have not found it numerous at any season, though it is said to be 

 common in the interior. It also occurs on the Chuckchee peninsula and Aleutian Islands. The 

 first of August it comes straggling slowly back from its breeding ground in the north, bringing its 

 young in train, aud after lingering for a short time about favorite spots in the vicinity of Saint 

 Michael's passes on to seek winter quarters far to the south. 



ANTHUS PRATENSIS (Linn.) Bechst. 



(IG.) The European Titlark. 



This widely-spread Old AVorld bird has been taken but once within the region treated of in 

 this paper. A single specimen was secured at Saint Michael's by Mr. Dall, during the Russiiin- 

 American Telegraph Expedition, and I'emains the only evidence of its presence on either shore of 

 Bering Sea. 



MOTACILLA OCULARIS Swirshoe. 



(17.) The Siberian Wagtail. 



All the later naturalists who have visited Plover Bay, Siberia, have secured specimens of this 

 handsome bird, Dall, Bean, aud myself in succession finding it there. The two former took it late 

 in the season in imperfect plumage, while during the second visit of the Corwin to this bay, the 

 last of Jane, 1881, I secured a fine adult male in perfect breeding plumage, the handsome plate 



