4 ®I?e Harbler 



the islands accessible as the coast line in most places consists of more or 

 less perpendicular rock-walls, often exceeding- a height of a hundred feet. 

 But both of the islands have a little beach line on their western side, each 

 offering space enough for a little Eskimo village. 



The hill-sides of the Diomedes are in most places covered with loose 

 rocks of all sizes, making ideal breeding places for Auks and Guillemots. 



The weather was not much inviting for a trip on shore on this very first 

 trip to the Big Diomede. The rain was just pouring down as if the sky had 

 lost its control of her water supplies, and the storm was blowing something 

 fierce. But the seabirds were swarming around us as thick as mosquitoes 

 on a warm summer day. I could not resist the temptation, so putting on 

 an oilskins suit, I spent a couple of hours climbing around amongst the 



kittle Diomede I,ooking Toward Big Diomede. Crested Auks and I,east Auks 

 Seen on and Between the Rocks 



slippery rocks. But not a single egg was my reward, although I thoroughly 

 searched the nesting places of the Least Auk, Crested Auk and Paraquet 

 Anklet— species which are very abundant here. The egg season for the 

 Auks was evidently not yet in at these high latitudes. Besides the species 

 named, a number of Pigeon Guillemots, Murres, Puffins and a few Cormor- 

 ants were observed — and of course the Snoivflakes not to be forgotten. 



On a little ridge in the hillside a few deserted native huts were situated. 

 They were built chiefly of stones and contained quite a few interesting 

 cooking utensils, different kinds of tools, weapons, etc. A few hundred 

 yards from these huts was a graveyard. The corpses were simply laid in 

 hollows digged out in the layer of big stones and rocks and a few pieces of 

 wood and boards served for covers. These very same hollows were evidently 



