BIEDS. 37 



from Saint Michaels south for clothing. The natives snare and spear theuj in the shallow ponds 

 and lagoons where they breed, and Ball mentions having seen one dress containing the skins from 

 over one hundred loons' throats. 



In spring the Black-throated Loons arrive rather late, coming to the vicinity of the Yukon mouth 

 from the 15th to 25th of May. They appear singly, and are soon after found scattered in pairs among 

 the numberless ponds on the marshes along the coast. The eggs are usually placed on some small 

 islet in a secluded pond. There is no attempt to make a nest, and frequently the eggs lie in a spot 

 washed by water when the wind blows from the right quarter. In spite of this, however, the young 

 are duly hatched, aud by the 1st of July may be found swimming about with their parents. 



When the young can follow their parents all pass to the coast, and during calm, pleasant 

 weather, the last of July and in August, they are very common in all the shallow bays along shore. 

 On one occasion downy young, not over one-fourth grown, were found on August 30. They were 

 iu a pond over 2 miles from any place where fish could be found, so that the parents must have 

 flown 4: miles at least for each fish taken to them. One of the young birds had a half digested 

 tomcod about 6 inches long in its gullet, and one of the parents was seen coming iu from the sea- 

 coast 5 or 6 miles away with a fish of the same size crosswise iu its beak. On one occasion I came 

 suddenly upon one of these birds in a small pool, aud the bird seeming to appreciate the useless- 

 ness of trying to dive, tried to take wing, but fell upon the grass only a few feet from the water. 

 Hoping to capture the bird alive, I pursued it at full speed as it jirogressed toward a neighboring 

 poud. The bird advanced by raising the fore part of the body by pressing downward with the 

 wing-tips, and at the same time, by an impetus of wings and legs, threw the body forward iu a series 

 of leaps. In spite of my efforts, the bird distanced me in a race of about 30 or 40 yards, and launched 

 into a larger pond. 



After the 15th or 20th of September very few of these birds are found, but whether they migrate 

 by way of the Yukou Valley and south through tlie interior, or down the west coast, is not known. 



The eggs are dark olive, blotched with black spots, which are generally confluent at the larger 

 end. Very frequently the spots are crowded into a black patch at the very apex of the larger end. 

 They are generally of an elongated shape, but occasionally are somewhat oval. Extremes in size 

 are 3.08 by 1.95 and 2.75 by 1.76. 



Ukinator pacificus (Lawr.). Pacific Loon (Esk. Utun-ii-chUl). 



This Loon is very commou at Poiut Barrow, according to Murdoch, where it was the only Black- 

 throated species found by him. They arrive eai-ly iu June aud leave the end of September. It 

 also breeds commonly ou the Xear Islands, according to Turner. Its habitat is limited to the ^STorth- 

 west Pacific, where it appears to be generally commou. It occurs as far south in winter as Cape 

 Saint Lucas and Guadalupe Island. 



Urinator lumme (Gunn.). Red-throated Loon (Esk. KiU-h-Mope-yuk). 



Throughout Alaska the present bird is by far the most abundant species of Loou. 



At Saint Michaels and the ^ ukon delta they arrive with the first open water from ]May 12 to 

 20, and by the end of this month are present iu large numbers. Their arrival is at once announced 

 by the hoarse, grating cries, which the birds utter as they Qy from place to place or float upon 

 the water. When the ponds are open on the marshes the Eed-throated Loons take possession, and 

 are extremely uoisy all through the flrst part of summer. The harsh gr-r-ga gr-r, gr-r-ga, gtl, gr-r, 

 rising everywhere from the marshes during the entire twenty-four hours, renders this uote one of 

 the most characteristic that greets the ear in spring in these northern wilds. 



The Russian name gegara, derived from the bird's uotes. is a very appropriate one. 



From the first of June until the first of July fresh eggs may be found. The nesting-sites chosen 

 are identical with those of the Black-throated species. Like the latter species, also, the eggs, two 

 in number, are laid directly upon the ground, aud the spot chosen is frequently wet and muddy. 

 One nest was found en frozen gronnd, and ice was floating in the pond. The young are led to the 

 streams, large lakes, or sea-coast as soon as they are able to follow the parents, and they fall easy 

 victims to the hunter until, with the growth of the quill-feathers, they attain some of the wisdom 

 of their parents. 



