120 EXPEDITION TO POINT BABKOW, ALASKA. 



This species does not brood anywhere near tlio station. The natives say they all go a long 

 distance to the eastward, and there breed in large numbers. As well as we could make out, one 

 extensive breeding-ground is on some sand island, rather more than half-way between Point Harrow 

 and the mouth of the Colville River. 



By a curious misnomer, these ducks are known to the whalemen as "canvas-backs"! 



629. SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS (Linn.) Boie. 

 KlNO ElUElt ( $ Ki'iiaUil; 9 A mmbia}. 



This is by all means the most abundant bird at Point Barrow. Thousands hardly describes 

 tbe multitudes which passed up during the great migrations, within sight of the station, and yet 

 equally great numbers passed up along the "lead" of open water several miles off shore. 



They appear in the spring before there is any open water except the shifting "leads" at a dis- 

 tance from the shore, and travel steadily and swiftly past Cape Smythe to the northeast, following 

 the coast. Some flocks cross to the eastward below Point Barrow, but the majority follow the 

 barrier of grounded ice past the point. It is probable, however, that they turn to the east after 

 passing Point Barrow, because all the returning flocks in the autumn cotne from the east, hugging 

 the shore of the mainland. 



The first ducks in the spring of 1882 were seen on April '21, a comparatively warm day, with 

 a light southerly wind blowing. They were flying parallel to the coast over the barrier of grounded 

 ice. The natives said they were all "kingaling" "nosy birds" or males (referring to the protuber- 

 ance at the base of the bill), and the first flocks of the migration appear to be composed exclu- 

 sively of males. 



During the first half of May, 1S82, several males cauiefroni the south off the land, and gained 

 the ice in a very exhausted condition, frequently so utterly worn out that the natives caught them 

 and killed them with sticks. They were all found to be very much emaciated, and their stomachs 

 were empty of food. 



The season was later in 188.'!, and no ducks were seen till May o. There were six great llights 

 in 1882, the first on May 12 and the last on June 11, and five in 1883, the first on May 17 and 

 the last on June 4. As a rule, these flights took place on comparatively warm days, with lighc 

 westerly or southwesterly winds. On one day each year, however, there was a large flight with a 

 light breeze from the east. A warm southwest wind is pretty sure to bring a large flight of eiders. 



The flight seldom lasts more than two or three hours, beginning about eight or nine in the 

 morning, or between three and four in the afternoon. More rarely a flight begins about ten in the 

 morning and lasts till afternoon. 



During the flights, the great flocks in quick successiou appear to strike the coast a few miles 

 from the station, probably coming straight across from the Seahorse Islands, and then follow up 

 the belt of level ice parallel to the coast towards Point Barrow, going pretty steadily on their 

 course, but swerving a little, and rising rather high when alarmed. 



Their order of flight was generally in long diagonal lines, occasionally huddling together so 

 that several could be killed at one discharge. A few flocks in a great flight usualy followed up the 

 line of broken ice a mile or two from the shore, and a flock occasionally turned in at the mouth of 

 the lagoon and proceeded up over the land. 



On the days between the flights and when the wind was east, a few flocks would struggle up 

 against the wind cither going up far off the shore or overland; but most of the birds on "off days" 

 came oil' the land from the south, and either continued on towards the open water or turned to the 

 northeast along the broken ice. These flocks were never so large as the great flight flocks, and 

 generally flew in more compact order. A few were occasionally seen early in the migrations going 

 back towards the southwest. On many days when tlie*e were no ducks in shore they flew abund- 

 antly at the " lead" of open water. 



The majority of them are paired by the middle of -May, and the flocks are made up of pairs 

 Hying alternately, ducks and drakes. If a duck is shot down, the drake almost invariably follows 

 her to the ice, apparently supposing that she has alighted. 



