1909] The 1907 Alexander Alaska Expedition. 185 
places. At Windfall and Mole harbors, Admiralty Island, April 
17 to June 10, the species was numerously represented, and 
many specimens were taken. Stephens noted it at Red Bluff Bay 
June 11 to 20, Rodman Bay August 12 to 20, and Bear Bay 
August 21 to 27, these being localities around Baranof Island. 
Around Chichagof Island Dixon records it from Idaho Inlet, July 
20 to 25; and full-grown young were taken there July 25. At 
Port Frederick, July 25 to August 1, marbled murrelets were 
common. Dixon notes that “‘they had a peculiar habit of flying 
about in pairs high over the water and forest, in the evening or 
early morning. During these flights they uttered a sharp, twit- 
tering note; but as they flew so swiftly and were anyway almost 
indistinguishable in the gray clouds, it was some time before 
we were able to identify the performers.’’ At Hawk Inlet, Ad- 
miralty Island, August 1 to 9, the species was quite numerous. 
And on Glacier Bay, June 27 to July 20, many were noted, as 
elsewhere, mostly in pairs. Yet dissection of the females secured 
in no case showed signs of immediate nesting. The belief was 
held by members of the party that a large proportion of the 
marbled murrelets in this region are non-breeders, that is, birds 
of the second year. 
In the series of twenty-two skins of this species obtained (Nos. 
241-250, 130, 156, 157, 146, 147, 233-239), full summer, juvenal, 
and transition stages between winter and summer plumages are 
represented, but no full winter plumage. Skins Nos. 245 and 
246, taken at Windfall Harbor April 26, are about half through 
the pre-nuptial molt. No. 246, a female, has no chestnut except 
a trace in the scapular region, the whole back being chiefly ashy ; 
the lower surface is only thinly marbled with sooty sepia. No. 
245, a male, shows a mixture dorsally of ashy and chestnut- 
tipped feathers, and the dark marblings ventrally are denser. 
From these one can pick out a succession of steps leading to the 
full summer or nuptial plumage, densely marbled below, the 
chest and sides of head almost solid sepia, and the back closely 
barred with bright chestnut-hazel. The first young (Nos. 238, 
239) were taken July 16, at Glacier Bay. This plumage is char- 
acterized by a uniform slate-black dorsal surface, relieved by 
considerable white in the seapulars, and by a white undersur- 
