NO. 2 BIRDS OF ALASKA AND SIBERIA — HERSEY 1 5 



28. July 14 a bird was seen with some white feathers in the dark 

 hood (perhaps a bird in first nuptial plumage), but even as late as 

 September 9 very few birds showed much sign of moult. I saw no 

 missing flight feathers and very little white about the head. Several 

 of the spring birds collected, but not over 25 per cent, had a faint 

 tinge of pink on the underparts which was always lost before the 

 specimen became wholly dry. 



Birds in any plumage can be identified in life by the arrangement 

 of the white feathers in the wing. When flying they appear to have 

 a large wedge-shaped piece taken from the center of each wing. 



STERNA PARADISJEA 



Arctic Tern 



A very common bird throughout the region. 



STERNA ALEUTICA 



Aleutian Tern 



My first sight of this rare bird was on June 3, when in the ice a 

 few miles off Cape Nome. Two terns were seen approaching and 

 were watched through a good glass as they passed close to the ship. 

 The light was favorable and the white forehead was plainly seen. 



The next meeting with the species was on July 8. I had become 

 temporarily separated from my baggage and the day had been spent 

 in an effort to get it. Toward evening I borrowed a gun and a 

 handful of shells loaded with number two shot — the smallest I could 

 get — and started out for a short stroll. I was told of some Spec- 

 tacled Eiders that had been seen a few days before by a native, so 

 obtaining a boat I rowed out on the bay. I saw nothing of the 

 Eiders and after rowing some distance I had about decided to return, 

 for it was nearly nine o'clock and the sun was getting low, when I 

 sighted a small island. Several terns were flying about so I landed 

 to look for nests. As I did so I saw at once that they were not 

 Arcjtic Terns. Two were shot and proved to be, as I expected, 

 Aleutian Terns. As the large shot made bad work of their plumage 

 I did not kill any more at this time. A hasty search showed no nests 

 and I reluctantly left the island with the determination, however, to 

 return assoon as possible. 



This I did not do until July 17, on which date I secured 13 more 

 birds. I went over the island very carefully but found no nests, 

 although the birds were doubtless breeding somewhere near. The 

 birds collected had evidently laid eggs at a fairly recent date. No 



