ANAKTUVUK PASS 39 



a shoveler shot at Humphrey Point in 1926 and although they are con- 

 sidered rare in the arctic I find that they are well known to many 

 Eskimos. A rare bird may be well known to Eskimos because each one 

 which appears in any way unusual is studied by all who are near 

 and the circumstances are discussed for years among a widening 

 circle. I mentioned that three reports in the literature of the arctic 

 coast appeared to stem from one black-billed loon which Leffingwell 

 (1919) and some Eskimos saw sometime before that date. I have 

 also heard of this same loon from several Eskimos and in different 

 villages. So the well known shoveler is familiar from a few well re- 

 membered observations but it is rare in central and eastern arctic 

 Alaska from the mountains northward. 



On June 1, 1953, Elijah Kakena saw a pair and obtained the male. 

 Its testes at 5 mm. were not much developed. These reports warrant 

 designating the shoveler as migrating through Anaktuvuk, although 

 I have no report that they nest north of the mountains. 



Aythya marila nearctica (Stejneger) 



3 males May 24- June 4 weight (17), 844- 



1046, average 932 



g. 

 6 females May27-JulylO weight (9), 856-1117, 



average 957 g. 



1 downy male July 10, 1951 weight 91 g. 



1 downy female July 10, 1951 weight 89 g. 



Throughout the north, ducks are important for human food and 

 are consequently so shy that I could rarely come close enough to distin- 

 guish by sight the greater from the lesser scaups. Am.ong those 

 taken for food, when closely observed, the extent of white on the wing, 

 the larger bill, and the heavier weight of the greater scaup distinguish 

 the latter. from lesser scaup. No intergradation of these characters 

 was noticed. 



Judgmg from the number of birds taken by the Eskimos the greater 

 scaup are probably at least ten times as numerous as the lesser. The 

 earliest recorded observations of scaup are May 24, 1949, May 19, 1950, 

 May 24, 1951, and May 14, 1953, and as specimens of both forms were 

 taken early, they apparently arrive at about the same time, coming 

 in numerous small flocks of both sexes which soon break up for mating. 

 Many continue their flight northward. No nests have been found, but 

 there is no doubt that the greater scaups, which among ducks are next 

 in summer numbers to old squaws and pintails, nest about many of 

 the larger lakes. 



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