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®ty Harbbr 



Taking luggage to the Island on Dog Sleds 



skin-houses, with altogether probably little more than a hundred 

 inhabitants, is situated. Almost the entire northern and eastern coast 

 of the island serves for rookeries of the seabirds. Especially are the Kittiwake s 

 numerous, in some places the entire rock-walls look white with the sitting 

 and flying birds, when seen from a little distance. My native guides made 

 here some good exhibitions in killing birds by their stone slings. The birds 

 that tumbled down with a broken wing only were executed in a prompt 

 but rather brutal way by a bite in the head of the natives' strong teeth. 

 On the northern end of the island I found a colony of the Siberian Two- 

 tufted Cormorant {Phalacrocorax Mcrislatus) and secured a few sets of fresh 

 eggs. In order to secure these I had to be lowered down by a rope. The 

 sets of this species number two to three eggs only. Also the Pallas Murre, 

 Horned Puffin, Point Barrow and Vega Gull are numerous oil the island. Of 

 other birds more or less commonly seen in the rookeries are Tufted Puffins 

 and Guillemots (Cepp/ius mandtii). All these birds had at the time to fly the seven 

 miles over the broken pack ice in crder to reach open water. A fierce snow- 

 storm blew up on July i, and lasted for two days. On July 3 I found 

 a nest of Baird Sandpiper on the high, stony plateau on the south end of 

 the island, the eggs about five days incubated. 



A Pectoral Sandpiper was also seen which undoubtedly was nesting on the 

 island but I did not succeed in taking it. Newly hatched Point Barrow Gulls 

 and full-fledged young Snowflakes were observed July 3. Also a few 

 Red-throated Pippils, Sivinhoe Wagtails, Wheatears, Longspurs and Redpolls inhabited 

 the island, as well as a pair of Ravens and a pair of Peregrine Falcons. The 

 nest of Peregrines I first succeeded in locating July 7th, and secured their three 

 eggs, the first laid egg being then about ready to be hatched. On July 10th 



