■1^11] Swarth: Alaska Expedition of 1909. 77 



to be approached. The vicinity was admirably suited to the 

 needs of this flycatcher, the stream being bordered with broad 

 grassy meadows, interspersed with clumps of willows, and I have 

 little doubt that the birds seen were preparing to breed. This 

 river valley forms a direct and expeditious highway from the 

 interior to the sea, and the alder flycatcher, together with one 

 or two other species, probably reaches the coast by following the 

 stream westward, and not by traveling north along the seacoast. 

 The specimen secured (no. 9713) is distinctly referable to 

 the subspecies alnormn, having the yellowish flanks and sides, 

 the distinct wing-bars, small bill, and long wing of that race. It 

 is in color and markings practically indistinguishable from a 

 specimen of aluorum from the Prince William Sound region, 

 Alaska (see Grinnell, 1910, p. 392), and is very similar to other 

 specimens at hand from Maine and the IMississippi Valley. 



Pica pica hudsonia (Sabine). American Magpie. 



Met with only on the Taku River. No magpies were seen 

 during the first part of our stay at this point, but on September 

 14 a single bird was secured, and shortly after the species became 

 fairly common. They were apparently migrating from the 

 interior toward the coast, sometimes flocks of eight or ten individ- 

 uals being seen passing overhead. The camp was an evident 

 attraction to them, and one or more were frequently seen foraging 

 in the refuse. 



The two specimens secured (nos. 9765, 9766) are immatures in 

 first winter plumage, with a few juvenal feathers still lingering 

 on the lower abdomen. They show no trace of the dusky suffusion 

 below, apparent on the juvenals from the Prince William Sound 

 region (see Grinnell, 1910, p. 393). 



Cyanocitta stelleri stelleri (Gmelin). Steller Jay. 



Throughout the spring and in the early part of the summer 

 jays were decidedly rare at every point visited. On the Kake 

 Islands, in April and early May, but three or four individuals 

 were seen. Single birds or an occasional pair were observed at 

 most of the localities visited on Prince of Wales, Dall, and others 



