128 NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



widely-spread Pacific species, occuniug only as a rare summer or fall visitant ou the shore of the 

 North Pacific and Beriug Sea, reaching the vicinity of Bering Straits in Norton Sound. One autumn 

 about October 1, I saw a pair feeding upon the bare muddy flats, near Saint Michaels, but with 

 the exception of the record of two or three other specimens obtained at various times in autumn, 

 near the same place, I have but little to add concerning its habits or distribution. The natives, 

 however, claim that it is found breeding on the bare mountains in the interior, some 20 or 30 miles 

 from the coast; but they probably mistook it for some other bird. Its favorite haunts are exactly 

 those of the Wandering Tattler, and each of my specimens was collected wliile this Tattler was the 

 object of pursuit. The isolated character of the spots chosen l)y these birds requires a special visit 

 to the outlying islands and capes, in order to obtain information concerning them, and this 

 may account, in a measure, for their supposed scarcity. The present record extend.s its range 

 north of 63o, and it undoubtedly reaches the immediate vicinity of Bering Straits. 



A young male taken at Saint Michaels, August 19, 1879, is in an interesting state of plumage. 

 In fall plumage the birds are very different from the spring adults, and bear a strong superficial 

 resemblance to the corresponding stage of plumage of the Knot (T. canutus). The crown has the 

 centers of the feathers uniform blackish brown, edged narrowly with grayish white, thus produc- 

 ing an irregular striation of grayish white and dark. Around the back of neck and entire dorsal 

 region to rump, including the scapulars and tertials, the feathers are uniforndy ashy, olive brown, 

 each feather narrowly edged with grayish white. Wing-coverts dark ashy, but lighter than the 

 back, and with broader white margins of the feathers. The wings and tail as in the adult. Rumj), 

 under tail-coverts, and abdomen white. Chin white, lightlj' maculated with dark. The throat and 

 sides of the head marked with dark ashy brown and white lines, the dark forming the shaft-lines. 

 Each feather of the breast is ashy brown, crossed by two narrow white bands near the extremity, one 

 of which tips the feather. The feathers on the sides of the abdomen are marked with scattered 

 dark shaft-lines. When fresh, the bill is black at the tip and dingy grayish-yellow at the base. 

 Gape yellow. Feet and legs dingy gamboge yellowish. Iris dark-hazel. Length, 9.60; spread of 

 wings, 20; wing, 6.50; tail, 2.35; tarsus, 1.10; culraen, .89. 



Arenaria interpbes (Linn.). Turnstone (Esk. Tubr-a-fu-ttik). 



During the summer this Ijird is found from the mouth of the Yukon north to Point Barrow, 

 where it is noted by Murdoch as scarce. It probably occurs to the south of the Yukon mouth at 

 this season, but we flud no records thence. It has been noted on Saint Matthew's Lslaud by 

 Elliott, and during the cruise of the Corwin, in the summer of ISSl, we found them numerous on 

 Saint Lawrence Island, where they were breeding at the time. It also breeds ou Saint Matthew's 

 and the muddy fiats of the sea-coast, from the Yukon north, wherever the surroundings are favor- 

 able. Dr. Bean took a specimen ou Saint Paul Island, August 6, and a second at Plover Bay, 

 Siberia, a little later. Although not recorded from the Aleutian Islands, yet its abundance ou the 

 Fur Seal Islands — only a comparatively short distance north of the chain mentioned — renders it 

 very iirobable that the bird occurs also on the Aleutian chain during its migrations. As confirm- 

 atory of this statement, I may add that as we approached the Aleutian Islands, in the spring of 

 1877, several birds were seen which I identified as of this species. These were seen while we were 

 about ten or twelve hours' steaming from the islands, and while they were on their way north. 



According to Elliott, this bird does not nest-upou the Seal Islands. He records their arrival 

 there by the third week of July, and they leave for the south about the lOtli of Se])tember. While 

 700 miles offshore, west from the Straits of Fuca, heading northwest for the Aleutian Islands, he 

 saw other specimens of this bird. 



It feeds upon the larva? of tiie insects which are found upon the tens of thousands of seal 

 carcasses strewn about the Seal Islands in fall, and they are only known here in their brilliant fall 

 plumage. Although rather common along the entire Alaskan coast, within the limits mentioned, 

 this bird is far less numerous than the Black-headed Turnstone, which is found withiu the same 

 Alaskan range as the present species. It breeds on the same i)arts of the coast as the latter, and 

 mingles with it in small flocks in autumn, when both forsake their breeding grounds and wander 

 along the shore in stray parties, living upon the fat of the land, and preparing for their passage 



