Nov., 1900] BIRDS OF THE KOTZEBUE SOUND REGION, 5 



Gavia imbcr (Gunn.), 

 Loon. 



On the first of Julj', when our vessel was anchored among the ice off 

 Cape Lowenstern which is some 75 miles south-west of Cape Blcssom, an eskimo 

 paddled along-side with several freshly shot birds including a single Common 

 Loon. This was the onl}" specimen I saw anj^where in the Kotzebue region, 



Gavia arctica (Linn.), 

 Black-throated Loon, 



The Black-throated Loon was very numerous throughout the Kotzebue region, 

 as much so in the interior as along the coa.st. At our winter camp on the Kowak 

 River, the last loons in the fall, two immatures, were seen on the fifth of Septem- 

 ber. The first arrival in the spring was noted on May 26, and two days later 

 loons were common. Most of the lakes in the lowlands are connected by sloughs 

 with the main streams during high water, so that nearly all are plentifuU}^ stccked 

 with fish. Thus the loons in the Kowak Valley have their food-supply close at 

 hand, and nearly every lake is the head-quarters of a pair or two of these divers. 

 In the Kowak delta, on June 17th, Dr. Coffin of our party found a nest' of the 

 Black-throated Leon containing two fresh eggs. It consisted of a floating mass of 

 dead marsh grass, 18 inches across, with a saucer-shaped depression in the top, 

 2j4 inches above the surface of the water. The nest was 60 feet from the shore 

 -out in a small lake in about ten inches of water, and in the midst of a patch of 

 marsh grass. The eggs are nearly ovate in shape and measure 3,05x2.01, 

 3.22x2.05. The ground color is dark olive, tending toward bistre on one of the 

 •eggs. The spots are rather evenly and sparsely distributed, are 1-32 to V?, of an 

 inch in diameter, and var}^ in color from clove brown to sootj^ seal brown. There 

 are also a few shell markings of drab. A S2cond set, slightly incubated, also of two 

 ■eggs, was taken on the 23rd of June. This set was very difi'erently located. The 

 nest consisted of a low mound of mud and rootlets scraped together on the shore 

 of a pond. The eggs lay in a slight hollow on the top and about eight inches 

 from the water's edge. The eggs of this set are elongate-ovate, and measure 

 3.02x1.87, 3.14x1.84. The ground color is similar to that of the first set but the 

 spots are more numerous, and are larger and thicker at the big ends. The spots, 

 are in color, seal brown, bistre, clove brown and drab. On June 22nd I found a 

 floating nest, like the first described, in process of construction. I caught sight of 

 it, as I was approaching the pond, just in time to see the loon depositing a beak- 

 ful of rotting marsh grass on top of the mass already accumulated. She was in 

 the water at one side but on seeing me, dove to a distance and would not continue 

 operations although I hid and waited a long time, 



Gavia Ik 7)1111 r (Gunn.). 

 Red-throated Loon, 



This is a common summer resident throughout the region underconsideration, 

 but it is not nearly so numerous as the Black-throated species. Red-throated 

 Loons were shot on the up]:)er Kowak during the la.st week in Ma\-, and in July 



