®Ije Harbfcr 



23 



looked rather wintery yet ; hills and lowlands alike were wholly covered 

 with deep snow — the mild weather and some bare patches here and there on 

 the sunny side of the hills were the only signs of the approaching summer. 



The natives of Kamchatka (the so-called Kamchathaks) are Russians 

 to-day in every respect except in the traces of the blood of the aborio-ines 

 which still lingers and indicates their ancestry. Two centuries of inter- 

 marriage with the Russians have lost them their native language, their leo-ends 

 and chief characteristics, theirs when they roamed the mountains and forests 

 wild, untamed barbarians. They wear now the same clothing as that of the 

 Russians and make their living by hunting and trapping, trade with the 

 agents of the Russian government, resulting in them being supplied with all 

 sorts of weapons of the chase and the stream. 



A most interesting anecdote of the .now extinct Stellers sea-cow was 

 told to me by our generous host, the Manager of the Kamchatka Trading 

 Co., Mr. Von Wildemann-Klopmann : 



" Aged fishermen still living in Petropaulovski, do remember that in 

 their youth a strange looking, big animal — unlike walrus or anv other sea- 

 animal they had seen during their seafaring days — at a certain season for a 

 great many years visited Avulcha Bay. It came regularly and was seen by 

 many of the villagers, who used to gaze at it in awe, until one summer it fail- 

 ed to make its visit. According to these old fishermen its last appearance 

 must have been more than forty-five years ago." 



Their description of the animal as related to me by Mr. Wildemann 

 answers in every respect to the features of the Stellers sea-cow — and I am 

 convinced that this story is true and that it is the last specimen of the 

 Stellers sea-cow ever seen. 



As the state of ice in Anadir Gulf prevents ships to enter those waters 

 till the mouth of July, I was prepared to spend the best part of the collecting 

 season in the vicinity of Petropaulovski. 



Owing to the snow that during the greater part of our stay made ex- 

 cursions on land very difficult and most trying, the majority of our outings 

 were made on the water. While the season for the migrating perching 

 birds was not yet in, the bay and coasts swarmed with water-birds, and the 

 following list indicates the thoroughly identified species only : 



Tufted Puffin 

 Horned Puffin 

 Perdix Murrelet 

 (Bradurhamphus perdix) 

 Ancient Murrelet 

 Pigeon Guillimot 

 Pallas Murre 

 Pelagic Cormorant 



Slaty-backed Gull 

 European Laughing Gull 

 Aleutian Tern 

 Arctic Tern 

 Pacific Fu liner 

 Red-breasted Merganser 

 European Teal 

 European Widgeon 



