48 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA [No. i. 



out in full force again. A flock would be seen approaching over the tree tops, 

 their figures tinged to a brick red by the rays of the declining winter sun, when 

 by some sudden impulse one bird would change his course sharply for a birch, 

 and instantly the resst of the flock would follow, the hindermost birds alighting 

 a little after the first ones.. Even if no other species were met with during a 

 day's tramp in mid-winter> a flock or two of these lively birds made up for the 

 exertion. It was always a delight to meet with them in that otherwise dreary 

 land. The eskimo name for the redpoll is Sak-si'ydbk, a possible imitation of 

 the birds* note. As the month of May advanced the flocks of redpolls began to 

 break up though the pairs were prone to stay within call of each other, a soci- 

 able trait. The first nest was found on June 4th, and contained five badly incu- 

 bated eggs. This indicates that nesting begins soon after the middle of May. 

 Another nest^ containing five slightly incubated eggs was taken on the 5th; the 

 nest was saddled in the forks of a leafless willow above water at the margin of an 

 ice-covered lake. This nest may be described as typical of the ones found in the 

 Kowak Valley. It is a very compact and well proportioned structure, of fine dry 

 rootlets, grasses and slender plant stems, lined with soft white willow down and 

 a few ptarmigan feathers. The diameter of the nest cavity is 1.70^ and the depth, 

 1.25. Kxternal diameter, 4.00; depth, 2.10. A nest of five fresh eggs taken on 

 June 6th was nine feet above the ground in the top of a small spruce at the edge 

 of a dense strip of timber. The eggs of the Hoary Redpoll are pale nile blue, 

 with spots, lines, dots and scrawls of vinaceous, lavender, chocolate and so dark a 

 brown as to appear black in some cases. These markings tend to form wreaths 

 about the larger ends of many eggs. The eggs vary in shape from ovate ta 

 short-ovate. Fourteen specimens average .65X.50, the extremes being .61X.53 and 

 6.9x49. , 



Acanfhis [inarm (Linn.). 



Redpoi^l. 



Out of 1 12 skins oT Acanf/iis brought home, seven are referable to ffmrn'a, one 

 to holba'llii and 104 to exilipcs. The specimens oi linaria are usually taken irs 

 company with exilipcs^ and in the case of immatures and females were not dis- 

 tinguishable until in hand.. Specimens of //;/«';'/« were taken in the vicinity of 

 our winter camp on the Kowak on September 29, October 6, March 18, March 21 

 and Ma}^ 24, ani at Caps Blossom on July loand 30. Two of the skins are of 

 adult males with bright red breasts, far different from the paLe pink of exilipes. 

 I saw Common Redpolls on Charaisso Island on July 9, '99. 



Acanthis linaria holbailii (Brehm). 

 HoLBa^Li^'s Redpoll. 



I refer to this race on account of its dark plumage and extreme length and 

 acuteness of the bill, a male specimen, probably immature for there is but a trace 

 of red. on its breast,, taken on the Kowak River,, April 10, '99. 



Passe rina tiivalis (Linn.). 

 Snowflake. 

 On the first day of July, '98, the " Penelope" was anchored behind a grounded 



