IN GREEN ALASKA 



Springs, a few hours' sail to the south, exploring 

 Indian River, a large, ideal trout stream in appear- 

 ance, making a trip to some near-by mines, and 

 climbing the mountains. It was not a good place 

 for our collectors; there were but few birds, and 

 they were very wild. Our mammal collectors put 

 out one hundred small traps and caught only two 

 mice. I was fortunate enough to see and hear the 

 water ouzel along Indian River, a bird like a big 

 water-colored pebble, with a hquid, bubbling song, 

 caught from the currents about it. Here also I 

 saw the golden-crowned kinglet, the varied thrush, 

 the russet-backed thrush, and the rufous chickadee. 

 Ravens were very common everywhere in the town 

 and about it, and were talking and croaking all 

 the time. Often a solitary bird seemed to be so- 

 liloquizing and repeating over to himself every 

 note he knew. One day a hunting party, with In- 

 dian guides and dogs, visited one of the islands in 

 quest of deer; the only deer that fell to their rifles 

 was killed by Mr. Harriman's eldest daughter, 

 Mary. 



It was a surprise to see the vast spruce forests 

 about Sitka almost untouched by the axe, except on 

 a small area behind the town. In the forest near the 

 mouth of Indian River I noticed a few huge si^umps 

 twelve feet high, as if the axe that felled the trees had 

 been wielded by giants. The cutting had probably 

 been done from raised platforms. Some of the stumps 



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