72 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



It is rarely seen more than two or three times during the season at Saint Michael's, although at the 

 Yukon mouth it is rather more common. It breeds at this latter location in small numbers, and 

 is also found sparingly in the vicinity of Kotzebue Sound and Norton Bay, as specimens brought 

 me from those localities by natives indicate. It is unknown from the Asiatic Shore to the 

 islands of Bering Sea. 



MBLOSPIZA CINEREA (Om.) Ridgw. 



(42.) The Aleutian Song Sparrow. 



Among the several peculiar birds found on the Aleutian Chain this is one of the most 

 remarkable. It forms the giant among its kin, and would scarcely be connected with its eastern 

 relative by one not familiar with the links in the chain w^hich unite them. It extends its range 

 from the westernmost of the Aleutians east to Kodiak Island. It has been described under various 

 names by the older naturalists, who secured it during the Russian occupation of the territory; 

 but, as in nuiny other instances, the most of our knowledge of its life history and distribution is 

 nuiinly the result of work done sin(!e the country changed owners. 



During a brief residence at Ounalaska, in the Aleutian Islands, in May, 1877, 1 becanui somewhat 

 familiar with the habits of this bird at that season, and during the stay of the Corwin at the same 

 place, in the fall of 1881, I was pleased to renew the acquaintanceship at another season. They 

 were common in both seasons, and frequented in autumn, as in spring, tiio vicinity of the shore 

 with a preference for .jutting craggy points, where great masses of rock lie at the water's edge or 

 the rugged slope of the cliff reaches out into the bay. It is the habit of this bird to hoj) from rock 

 to rock and scramble about along their inclined faces searching for their food close to the water's 

 edge, where it feasts on th(! small marine animals stranded by the falling water or living there 

 between the tide-lines. . The male frequently mounts to the top of some convenient point and 

 utters his short, rather hard, but pleasant song. This song consists of several loud, hard notes, 

 the first two the clearest and most musical, the others rather harsh. As might be expected from 

 the size of the bird, the song is strongtu' and louder thau that of its eastern relative, the familiar 

 song sparrow. During the entire time of our stay at Ounalaska, in September and October, 1881, 

 the nuxles showed their ai)preciation every pleasant day by passing a considerable portion of their 

 time ui)on the roof of the warehouse at the wharf or other conspicuous position elsewhere, uttering 

 their song at short intervals. This warehouse stood beside the wharf to which we were moored, 

 and the passing to and fro of the men handling cargo or attending to other duty made a scene of 

 bustling activity. In spite of this the bird was sure to be found whenever the weather favored. 

 At other times he could be found, with one or two companions, searching the sandy beach close by 

 for food. 



PASSERELLA ILIACA (Merrem) Om. 



(43.) The Fox-Colored Sparrow. 



Common in summer along the coast of Norton Sound, and extends its range north to the shores 

 of Kotzebue Sound. Its loud, clear song rises from every patch of alders of any size along this 

 stretch of coast, and the birds upon their first arrival, about the last of May, come boldly about 

 the dwellings, uttering their loud, clear song from the roofs of the outhouses and other convenient 

 stand-points. At the Yukon mouth it is very common, and I found its song one of the most musical 

 and striking among the very scanty feathered choir which announces the advent of summer at that 

 remote place. It is unknown from any of the islands in Bering's Sea, as well as from the Asiatic 

 shore. Its range extends within the interiorof the ArcticCircle, although the lack of bushes along 

 the coast limits its occurrence except on the shores of the two sounds named. 



PASSERELLA ILIACA (Gm.) Ridgw. 



(44.) Townsenu's Sparrow. 



This species is admitted here solely by reason of the identification of (Iraeliu's Emberezia a 

 oonalascensis as this bird. One thing is certain, and that is that since Gmelin's type no specimen 

 of this bird has been secured at Ounalaska, although numerous nuturalists have visited that locality 



