Nov., 1900] BIRDS OF THE KOTZEBUE vSOUND REGION. 37 



Accipitcr velox (Wils.). 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk. 



Several Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen about our winter quarters on the 

 Kowak the last week of August. They were usually seen at dusk silently skirting 

 the edges of the timber tracts. I shot an immature male, the last individual seen, 

 on the evening of September ist. I failed to see a single Sharp-shinned Hawk 

 during the following spring. The native name for this bird is Ke-go"b-wa-chor'uk. 



Falco nisticolus gyrfaico (hiVivx.). 

 Gyrfalcon. 



In October when the Willow Ptarmigan were numerous along the Kowak, I 

 saw Gyrfalcons several times in their vicinity, always singly. On October 24th I 

 shot at and wounded a ptarmigan which after a flight of a hundred yards or more 

 fell to the ground in its death struggles. A Gyrfalcon which I had not previously 

 seen suddenly made its appearance rushing toward the dying bird with a swift 

 zigzag flight. Just before reaching the ptarmigan, the Gyrfalcon caught sight of 

 me running toward it and sheared off but kept circling around overhead with fre- 

 quent wing-beats. It seemed loth to leave such an easy prey, and remained 

 fully five minutes uttering an occasional hoarse cry or croak, sometimes hovering 

 stationarily above the ptarmigan, but always hesitating to dart down for it so close 

 to me. Finally the Gyrfalcon began to fly in broader circles, mounting slowly 

 upward, and an unsuccessful shot sent it flying ofl^ toward the foothills. A day 

 or two later I saw a Gyrfalcon flying low over the brush bordering Hunt 

 River and followed by a chattering mob of more than fifty Hoary Redpolls. After 

 October 28th I did not again see the Gyrfalcon until May toth when I secured an 

 adult male. It was flying northward toward the mountains. During the latter 

 part of May I saw quite a number; and on the 28th several were seen along the 

 base of the Jade Mountains; one was observed in pursuit of a Rock Ptarmigan, but 

 the latter escaped. 



Falco cohimbarhis Linn. 

 Pigeon Hawk. 



I found the Pigeon Hawk quite common during the latter part of August 

 along the Kowak above the delta. It was oftenest noted, in the tracts of cotton- 

 woods which in places abutted the river banks. Several families were seen, the 

 young accompanying the adults and uttering loud querulous cries. The last one 

 was seen at our winter camp on the 30th of Aiigust. Xhe following spring the 

 first was noted on May 19th; and I saw the species but once or twice afterwards. 



Pandioii haliaetu^ carolinoisis (Gmel.). 

 American Osprey. 



On the 1 2th of August while we were steaming up one of the channels in the 

 Kowak delta, as many as six ospreys were seen, and a nest was observed. This 

 nest was, I judged, about forty feet above the ground at the top of a spruce 

 where several branches emanated and the tip of the tree was broken off. It prob- 

 ably contained nearly full-grown 3^oung at this date. Although the tree in which 



