BIRDS. 145 



tlie uiountains. Oue spring, after the birds, as usual, had batched their youug, a famous hunter 

 of the village went out alone to atteud to his tish-uets. While he was out one of these eagles 

 soared high over the village, and seeing the hunter's wife outside of the house, swooped with a 

 mighty rush of wings and carried her oft' to feed the nestlings. Ere long the hunter returned, 

 and with wailing cries his friends told him of his loss. For a time he was inconsolable, but at 

 length he seized his bow and examined it carefully, theu he selected a quiver of his best 

 arrows, and heedless of remonstrance began climbing toward the nest of the eagles. When 

 he had nearly reached his goal he heard the whistling of great wings, and crouching behind a 

 huge bowlder, with an arrow drawn to its head, he waited. lu an instant the female bird was 

 seen descending, her terrible eyes fired with rage ; but just as she was about to grasp the hunter 

 in her talons he buried an arrow under her wing and she fell far down the mountain side, mor- 

 tally hurt. He then advanced, and in a short time reached the summit of the mountain, finding 

 the young so large that they entirely filled the enormous nest. All about were strewn fragments 

 of men and animals, among which were seen the frames of many kyaks. With vengeful heart 

 he shot arrow after arrow until the last of the brood lay dead. He had scarcely finished, when 

 a wild cry was heard close bj^, and he saw the male bird approaching. At the same instant the 

 bird caught sight of its slain youug and of the hunter. A still louder and more terrifying 

 cry was heard, which made the villagers below shudder for their friend. The eagle darted at its 

 enemy. With unshaken courage the hunter met each assault with a well-directed arrow until the 

 bird, pierced with many wounds, turned, and, upon outspread wings, slowly glided away and 

 vanished far oft' to the north. Since theu none of its kind has ever been seen, and men have been 

 able to hunt without fear. The villagers afterwards visited the nest with their deliverer and 

 found many relics of friends who had perished, and it was only a few years ago that the remains 

 of the kyaks were still to be seen about the nest. This story is implicitly believed by the natives 

 of the Lower Yukon and adjacent sea-coast, and the Bald Eagle is known by the name which they 

 apply to the bird of their legend. 



In British Columbia Mr. Lord found the White-headed Eagles remaining in winter and during 

 the most intense cold several were seen by him perched close together upon a pine branch in such 

 a benumbed state that he frequently shot one of the number without disturbing the others, and 

 one morning he found three birds frozen stiti' upon the ground where they had fallen from their 

 perches. In the fur countries the Bald Eagle is resident as also upon the Aleutian Islands and 

 the southeastern shore of Alaska, and in portions of 2forthern Alaska as well. It arrives as soon as 

 the streams show sigus of opening in si)ring, being one of the earliest arrivals in Northern British 

 America, according to Eichardsou. At Unalaska, in the spring of 1877, 1 saw large numbers of 

 them, and visited an eyrie on a clift' overhanging the sea. Although this was in May, the birds 

 had not deposited their eggs, and I was informed by the residents that their usual time for 

 incubating is from the middle of May until into June, which is very late in the season considering 

 the comparatively mild climate at this place. In the north, along the portion of the country occu- 

 pied by the Eskimo, the feathers and skin of this bird are prized for ornaments used in their 

 festivals and dances.* 



Falco islandus Briinn. White Gyrfalcon. 



During my residence in the north I secured only a single specimen of this bird, an Eskimo 

 skin takeu at Cape Darby on the Alaskan shore near Bering Straits. Dall saw oue on the rigging 



* HaUeetus pelaijicua, Pallas. — Kamchatkau Sea Eagle. The great, Kamchatkau Sea Eagle of Pallas has been 

 erroneously accrediteil to the Aleutian Islands proper. That this Sea Eagle should occur, as a rare straggler, on the 

 western extreme of the Aleutian chain, wonld not be surprising, as it is common in Kamchatka and occasion- 

 ally visits the Commander Islands situated only about 300 miles west of the extreme of the Aleutian chain ; but 

 it has never been captured within the limits of these latter islands, nor have we authentic records of its occurrence. 

 For the purpose of ideutiticatioo, for the benefit of future explorers iu the Boring Sea region, I will add here the most 

 prominent characters by which the Kamchatkau eagle may be distinguished from the Bald Eagle. It is larger than 

 the Bald Eagle. The tail is rather short and wedge-shaped; the middle feathers are nearly 4 inches longer than the 

 outer ones. All the fourteen feathers are somewhat pointed, but the central four are lanceolate. The head, tall, 

 thighs, and a broad band from the shoulder to bend of wing arc white. 

 S. Mis. loC 19 



