CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 109 



XEMA SABINEl (J. Sabine) Leach. 



(157.) Sabine's Gull. 



From the Peninsula of Alia.ska, north, along the Alaskan .shore to Kotzebiic Sonnd. tliis i.s a 

 very common Gull. It is especially numerous duriu"- the breeding season on the low marshy coast 

 between the Yukon mouth and Saint Michael's, where it breeds. It is common, however, at 

 various other [)oints along the American coast, and across to Saint Lawrence Island and the 

 Siberian shore of Bering Sea. whence speciaiens have been secured by various parties visiting 

 that coast. It was seen at Saint Lawrence Bay by the naturalist of the Jeannette on August 29, 

 187!) ; and when we neared Wrangel Island the 1st of August, 1881, two young gulls about the 

 size of this bird came off and kept about the vessel for some time. Th^- were in dark, mottled, 

 immature plumage, and kept at such a distance that it was iiupossible to be i)ositive of the species. 

 From the frequent occurrence of Rosse's Gull to the north of this land, as noted by the naturalist 

 of the Jeannette, and the fact that no adult Sabine's Gulls were seen either along the 

 adjoining shore of Siberisi or in this vicinity, the chances are that these two young birds were 

 Rosse's Gulls; but at the time I identified them as being the young of Sabine's Gull, as their size 

 and the general appearance of their coloration as seen at a distance indicated. It was not noted 

 by us during the cruise of the Corwin anywhere around the shore of the Arctic, unless the two 

 immature birds seen off Wrangel Island belong to this si>ecies. 



STERNA OASPIA Pall. 



(1.58.) CASi'tAN Tern. 



This large Teru is extremely rare in the north. It was only observed by me at the Yukon 

 mouth on two occasions, both times escaping without injury in spite of uiy attempts to secure 

 it. The natives were well acquainted with the bird, however, but alw lys insisted that it was 

 very uncommon. They have a name for the common Arctic Tern which they also apply to this 

 large species with the termiuation "puk," uu^aning great or large, showing that there is little 

 doubt as to the bird's correct identificatiou. There is no record of its occurrence to the north of 

 Saint Michael's, which is the most northern point whence I have any information of its occurring; 

 nor is it known from the islands of Bering Sea or the Siberian shore. 



STERNA MACRURA Naum. 



(159.) The Akcxic Tern. 



Along both shores of Bering Sea and upon both .shores of the adjoining Arctic waters this 

 bird is very common. It was noted in the vicinity of Point Barrow during our visit there in 

 August, 1881, and along all of the north Siberian coast visited, and is a well-known resident of the 

 Bering Sea shores. It nests wherever found in this region, and occurs indifferently either in the 

 interior along the courses of the rivers, or on the salt mai'shes and barren islands on the sea coast. 

 This is one of the circumpolar species, which is familiar to all voyagers in these northern regions. 

 It nests on some of the sterile islands of the North, in Hocks, upon the bare sandy or pebbly ground, - 

 with no trace of any artificial nest. It is common ui)on Spitzbergen but scarce on Nova Zemlya, 

 and was noted in the vicinity of the New Siberian Islands by Nordenskiold. On the eastern shore 

 of Bering Sea I have only found it nesting singly, in pairs scattered here and there over the 

 marshes, and in one insLauce three pairs were fouud occupying the same small island in a lake, 

 which is the largest number 1 fouud nesting in close proximity. In this, however, as in many 

 other instances, the birds' habits vary greatly with the locality. 



STERNA ALEUTICA Baird. 



(IGO,) The Alkutian Tern. 



This handsome Alaskan Tern has an extremely limited distribution, being found from Kodiak 

 Island north to Bering Strait on the American mainland shore, and occasionally crossing to the 



