i8 



CUIip ferblrr 



age. At the time of my arrival at the Diomedes (Aug. 25) most of the 

 Auks had begun to shed their ornamental feathers of the breeding plumage. 

 The Least Auks were losing the little horny knub on their beaks and the 

 Crested Auks, their picturesque tufts as well as the peculiar, red, waxy, 

 sheaths of their bills. Still I succeeded in picking out a number of speci- 

 mens of these birds in perfect breeding plumage. 



Considering the fact that the natives during the whole summer live al- 

 most solely on the meat of small Auks, it is remarkable that these species, 

 that only hatch one young a year, can abound here in such countless num- 

 bers. Twice a clay the women of the village would look at their snares, that, 

 fastened to sticks or iron rings are laid on the rocks, where the Auks in 

 great number would sit down and rest. As most of the birds are caught by 



their legs and taken alive they are 

 killed by the squaws with a bite in 

 the head. Every day many dozen of 

 the pretty little creatures have to 

 lose their lives and serve as food 

 for a single Eskimo family on the 

 Diomedes. Other species observed 

 during my stay on the Little Dio- 

 mede were: Point -Barrow Gull, 

 Vega Gull, (migrating) Pigeon Guil- 

 limot, Tufted Puffin, Raven, Snow- 

 flakes, Redpoll, and one solitary 

 Swinhoes Wagtail. 



From one of the natives I 

 purchased three specimens of the 

 Ruff, all males, made up nicely 

 into skins, which were filled with 

 Reindeer hair. They were killed around the 25th of May the same year. 



A few notes regarding my observations may be of interest, as they illus- 

 trate the irregularity in the breeding of the species they concern : 

 Aug. 26. Pallas Murre. Young about 5 days old. 



" Feathered just ready for the sea. 



" New Hatched downy. 



" Eggs about ready to be hatched. 



Horned Puffin. Newly Hatched Young. 

 " About 12 days old. 



" Newly Hatched Young. 



" Eggs about to be Hatched. 



Paroquet Anklet. Half-fledged Young. 

 " About 7 days old. 



SNARE 



