30 tJ. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



residents in a lake, whereas the yellow-billed loons which were seen 

 more often, appeared to fly more readily from lake to lake. 



In the windy weather of late summer, black-billed loons are often 

 heard calling while in flight. Simon Paneak thought that they fre- 

 quently called while flying through light rain, but he doubted if the 

 flight call predicted the onset of rainy weather. 



The first records of the season are June 4, 1948, May 27, 1949, May 

 21, 1951 and June 1, 1954. 



On the arctic coast Bailey (1948) mentions the report of a large 

 black-billed loon which had been killed east of the Colville mouth. 

 Anderson (1921) had been told by Leffingwell of one killed near Flax- 

 man Island, and Leffingwell (1919, p. 651) reported that only one 

 had been seen there and that the Eskimos only knew of one being 

 seen on the Colville. I found among the Nunamiut the recollection 

 of circumstances about the loon which Leffingwell mentioned and 

 which is apparently the basis for all these published comments. They 

 consider it a rarity on the coast, but I have found several coast Es- 

 kimos who know the black-billed loon from one observation or through 

 a report from other Eskimos, and I do not question that black-billed 

 loons occasionally migrate to the arctic slope and coast. 



The specimens and these accounts show that immer is regularly pres- 

 ent in and sometimes nests in the mountains. In addition a few prob- 

 ably migrate northward for nesting, for a pair was known by Simon 

 Paneak to have nested some years ago north of Anaktuvuk on the lower 

 Colville River. 



Gavia adamsii (G. R. Gray) 



1 female 



Sept. 28, 1949 







wing 375 mm. 

 culmen 93 mm. 



1 female, not 



Jime 9, 1951 



weight 4050 g. 



medium fat 





preserved 











Yellow-billed loons, by the reflection from their bills, are easily 

 distinguished from common loons at surprisingly great distance in 

 arctic light. 



The earliest recorded arrivals are May 27, 1949, May 20, 1950, May 

 28, 1951, May 30, 1952, May 23, 1953 and June 1, 1954. Two were 

 seen at Odrivik Lake in the Killik Valley daily August 13-15, 1950. 

 On July 6, 1951, Simon Paneak and William Irving saw a pair with 

 one young on a lake near Amorgoayat in the Killik Valley, where they 

 also reported seeing frequent pairs and on July 10, observed six 

 together in Akmalik Lake. 



To the Nunamiut the yellow-bill is well known as Tootlih. Like 

 black-billed loons they frequent the larger lakes, where they are sure 

 to be observed by the frequent surveys of the countryside which the 



