2 - SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 66 



were the most common, with Fork-tailed Petrels next. Leach's and 

 Fisher's Petrels were often seen, and several Black-footed Albatrosses 

 followed us until we neared land, when they disappfiared. 



As we approached Unimak Pass the number of birds increased to 

 a point almost beyond belief. As far as the eye could see great masses 

 of birds were bedded on the water. California (and perhaps Pallas's) 

 Murres and Tufted Puffins were everywhere, with a smaller propor- 

 tion of Horned Puffins. As we steamed through the pass, they 

 swam or fluttered to one side barely clearing the sides of the vessel. 

 Ahead of us great clouds of Sooty Shearwaters rose, and flying a 

 short distance, again settled on the water. It was utterly impossible 

 to form any definite estimate of the number of birds seen. " Hun- 

 dreds of thousands " does not exaggerate their abundance. We 

 were several hours in going through the pass and it was not until 

 we reached Unalaska in the evening, that we saw the last of this 

 vast number of birds. 



We planned to spend two days at Unalaska but a bad storm kept 

 us there a third. The time was profitably spent collecting the various 

 species peculiar to this locality. 



Our next stops were at St. George and St. Paul Islands, but we did 

 not land. Crested, Paroquet, and Least Auklets, and Rodger's Ful- 

 mars, were about the ship during our brief stays here. 



Nome was our next port, which we reached on June i. I shall 

 long remember the novelty of this day's experiences. Early in the 

 morning we sighted ice and the day was spent laboriously forcing our 

 way through it. We finally anchored to the ice a little way ofif shore 

 about 10.30 p. m., and dog teams came out from the town and took 

 off the mail. During the day we had been within sight of the steamer 

 Corwin — formerly a revenue cutter, but now owned and operated by 

 a Seattle steamship company — and just before midnight she 

 steamed in and anchored near us. Her passengers were landed on 

 the ice and transferred by dog team to the shore. The long Arctic 

 day was drawing to a close, but there was still enough light to obtain 

 photographs of this interesting scene. 



After leaving Nome we were again delayed by ice, but reached St, 

 Michael early in the morning of June 5. Here I left the ship, and 

 arrangements being made with the owner of a small open power- 

 boat to carry me and my outfit to the mouth of the Yukon River, we 

 left St. Michael Monday morning, June 8. We went through the 

 " canal " (so called), a tide channel which separates St. Michael Island 

 from the mainland. When a distance of about 25 miles had been 



