CRUISE OF STEAMER OORWIX IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 99 



The. Haileqiiiu is also foiuul along the northeastern shore of Siberia, aud visits all the Bering- 

 Sea islands dnring the siuniner. It was not seen by ns, however, in the Arctic dnring the crnise 

 of the Coiwin. and if it occnrs there it ninst be as a straggler or very rare snninier visitant. 



HARELDA GLACIALIS (Linn.) Leach. 



(13l'.) Old Squaw Duck. 



Everywhere around the islaud.s of Bering Sea and the niaiidand coast, extending tiirough 

 the Straits and along both the Alaskan and Siberian shores to the farthest limit of land, this 

 jtecnliar Dnck is found in abundance. It is a noisy bird in spring, with a loud and sonorous note, 

 and occurs everywhere on the sea among the drifting ice, or on shore in secluded pools and small 

 sluggish sti'eams. It occurs as a resident on the fur-seal islands, aud upon the Aleutian chain. 

 It was also seen aboiit Saint Lawrence Island during our visits there in June and July, l.ssi, and 

 was common at East Cape, Siberia, as well as along the north coast of this land. It is reported 

 as being a common species at Nova Zembla by Nordenskiiild, and a recent letter in the New York 

 Ilei-ald from the naturalist of the Jeannette reports them common August 30, ISSl, on Thaddeus 

 Island, one of the Liakhov group, as the Jeannette party were making their way to the month of 

 the Lena after losing their vessel. Its habits are a strange combination of the salt and fresh 

 water Ducks in Alaska, as it appears to frequent inditferently the rocky islands surrounded by 

 the sea with an entire lack of fresh water, or is found far up the Yukon, where fresh water alone 

 exists. It has a peculiar aud rather musical note, making it one of the most conspicuous birds 

 on the ponds and streams of the sea-coast aud marshes about the mouth of the Yukon, where in 

 spring its loud cries and lively uuiuners make it a very amusing and interesting bird. It arrives 

 in the sea with the first openings in the ice during Aprd each spring, or iu earlier seasons the last 

 of March. These ducks are very much emaciated at this date, but gradually regain their Hesh, 

 until in May the poiuls open on shore aud allow them to seek their nesting grounds. In the 

 autumn th^y remain until the sea freezes over, and thus closes their only means of gaining 

 snbsisteuce, after wliich they are forced to dejiart for the South. 



POLYSTICTA STBLLERI (Pall.) Brandt. 



(133.) Steller's Eidee. 



The present species is widely distributed over the coasts of Bering Sea, occurring on both the 

 mainlands as -well as about all the islands of this water. It was found merely as a straggler upon 

 the fur-seal islands by Elliott, but is extremely numerous on the Aleutian chain in winter where it 

 occnrs as a very abundant resident at this season, Joining sometimes in flocks with the King Eider. 

 Dall informs us that it pairs early in May and breeds upon the Aleutian chain. The larger 

 number, however, pass farther north at this season. During my visit to Ounalaska in May, 1877, 

 these birds were found in small numbers scattered over the inner harbors, but were extremely shy, 

 and notwithstanding repeated efforts to secure them they invariably took flight long before my 

 approach within gunshot. They have been reported as wintering in great 'abundance upon Sanakh 

 Island, and as occurring iu large numbers on the north coast of Aliaska Peninsula during the 

 summer. North along the coast of Norton Sound they are only known as autumnal visitants. 

 Each fall, just before the inner bays freeze over in October, a number of these birds are found 

 sometimes in considerable flocks feeding about the tide-rips, and at this season I secured a nnuiber 

 of specimens ; but no adults were ever noted at this locality, and I do not know of the bird's occur- 

 rence in spring, although it may be taken as a rai'e straggler. It was not noted by us anywhere 

 along the coast of Alaska from Saint Michael's north through Bering Strait to Point Barrow; but 

 we found a number of them the tii'st of Jnlj^ in the brackish ponds on Saint Lawrence Island, 

 where they were evidently breeding, and again on the north coast of Siberia they were excessively 

 numerous. Flocks of thousands were found about Cape Wankarem during our stay there the 

 first of August, ISSl, and, in company with an equal number of King Eiders and a few of the 

 Pacific Eider, were seen passing out and in each evening to aud from the large estuary back of the 

 native village. This village was built upon the spit cutting this estuary from the sea at this 



