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



their appearance in the cottonwoods nearb5^ For several minutes they chased 

 each other among the trees, dodging back and forth among the branches. At fr 

 quent intervals they burst out in a series of harsh cries, very much like the notes 

 of the White-rumped Shrike in the States. These three birds were probablv of a 

 single brood of the previous summer. As a rule the shrikes were very" shy 

 None were .seen after October 26th, until March 22nd, when one was secured. 

 During April and May they became fairly common, that is, for shrikes. At this 

 season they had a musical and varied but weak .song, .sometimes interspersed with 

 the hansher, more characteristic notes. In the Kowak delta, during two weeks 

 which we passed encamped at one place, a shrike was seen, sometimes several 

 times a day, carrying prey to a clump of spruces further up the channel wher"e 

 there must have been a brood of young. On one occasion the bird was carryin^r 

 a redpoll, but usually it was a lemming or meadow mouse. It was astonishinrr 

 what a heavy weight the bird could sustain. Once he had grasped in his claws a 

 lemming so heavy that it dragged in the water as the bird flew laboriously across 

 the river. The native name for this bird is E-ra'ya-y5k which means eye-extracton 

 They say that he catches mice and redpolls, picks out their eyes and lets them go 

 again. From his perch the cruel bird then watches the blind wanderings of his 

 victims, until he tires of the sport and finally eats them. 



Hclminthophila cclata (Say). 

 Orange-crowned Warbler, 

 1 saw this species but once, on the 25th of May near our winter camp. Its 

 characteri.stic song was heard among the spruces on a hillside, and I finally 

 obtained a good view of it, so that identity was quite satisfactory. 



De7idroica cestiva (Gmel.). 

 Yellow Warbler. 



Yellow Warblers, mostly in immature plumage, were observed commonly in 

 the Kowak Valley in the latter part of August. The last one was noted on 

 August 24th. In the spring I did not .see the species until June 9th, in the 

 Kowak delta. They were soon common, however, and their familiar .son<>- was to 

 be heard from nearl3'^ every willow thicket. 



Doidroka corcniata Jwovcri McGregor. 

 Hoover's Warbler. 

 Hoover's Warblers were numerous summer residents of the timber tracts 

 throughout the Kowak Valley from the delta eastward. In the latter part of 

 Augu.st scattering companies were frequenting the spruce, bircli and cottonwoods, 

 among the foliage of which tliey were constantly searching, with oft-repeated 

 "chits." just as are their habits in winter in California. The last observed, a 

 straggling flock of six or eight, were seen in a patch of tall willows about sunset 

 of August 30th. The following spring the arrival of Hoover's Warblers was on 

 May 22nd. They were already in pairs and the males were in full song. At this 

 season they were confined exclusively to the heavier spruce woods. In the 

 Kowak delta, on the 23rd of June, a set of five considerably-incubated eggs was 



